[R-G] fw: What are we doing in Haiti? asks prominent Bolivian journalist

[Anthony Fenton]

What are we doing in Haiti?

by Pablo Stefanoni
Former advisor to Bolivian President Evo Morales
Currently Director of Le Monde Diplomatique-Bolivia

La Razón, La Paz
Monday, April 21, 2008

In recent days the Haitians have gone into the streets to protest
against the brutal increase in the cost of food. The response of
the Police — with the support of the United Nations Mission for
the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH) — was repression that cost
the life of at least five demonstrators and wounded about fifty
others.

Haiti is not only the poorest nation in Latin America, it was the
first country in America to declare its independence under the
leadership of a heroic slave rebellion. But its economy was
ruthlessly pillaged by the long-lasting dictatorship of the
Duvaliers (1957-1986), first the father then his son, supported by
France and the United States.

In 1991, the former priest and popular leader Jean-Bertrand
Aristide was elected president. But after an initial overthrow and
his return to power — now much further from his initial
progressive positions — he was overthrown and kidnapped by a
military coup supported, once again, by France and the United
States.

Although it is located in the midst of the Caribbean, Haiti is a
great desert, a product of criminal deforestation, and its mass
barrios have become huge garbage dumps. Twenty years ago,
according to a report by Serpaj [an Argentine human rights
organization], Haiti was producing 95% of the rice it consumed;
today it imports 80% from the US. To this point, this could be the
history of any small impoverished nation occupied by international
peacekeepers, accomplices in the interventionism of the big
powers. However, there is a difference: this time, the mission is
led by a government of the left, Brazil, with the participation of
various other progressive governments — Uruguay, Argentina,
Ecuador... and Bolivia.

Which raises the question: Should our troops be in Haiti shoulder
to shoulder with the occupation armies of the United States and
France firing on mass demonstrations with the excuse that they are
just criminal gangs (which some obviously are)? Shouldn’t there be
some other form of support by progressive governments to our
fellow peoples of the continent? Haven’t we rightly praised Cuba
for sending doctors to save lives and not soldiers to end them?
Finally, is it the role of the left to “humanize” the
international missions devised by the great powers?

So far the only response to these questions has been silence.

Translation: Richard Fidler