Summary:
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At his request, the U.S. sent 20,000 soldiers into our sovereign country, ostensibly to protect a democracy that was still in the making.
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According to the president of Haiti, the United States-backed invasion was meant to be a short-term fix.
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It would be naive to believe that gangs alone are to blame for Haiti’s issues.
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This would help reduce the ongoing political instability in Haiti and across Africa.
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António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, is urged to uphold Haiti’s sovereignty.
Within diplomatic circles, discussions of an unavoidable American military action in Haiti are starting. Without any constitutional or legal backing, our de facto government in Haiti gave the go-ahead for special forces to be sent in to fight the insurgency and gang violence that were hurting the poor and jobless people of the country.
Under cover of aid, the Haitian community was duped into supporting the idea of a “surgical strike” in 1994, 28 years ago. That breach of our constitution was the responsibility of our then-Haitian president.
At his request, the U.S. sent 20,000 soldiers into our sovereign country, ostensibly to protect a democracy that was still in the making. However, this action led to the Haitian military’s end and our society’s breakup.
According to the president of Haiti, the United States-backed invasion was meant to be a short-term fix. Let’s not forget that this military operation broke the laws of our country and the United Nations. A protracted United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding effort quickly evolved from the original mission.
After twenty-eight years, our nation is in worse shape than ever while being watched by the UN. Today’s Haiti is a country of beggars where the government gets all of its money from outside sources.
Since the parliament isn’t working and the judicial branch doesn’t have any real power, Haiti’s political system no longer has any working institutions; it’s just a bunch of empty shells. Even scarier is that violent street gangs have taken over the military’s replacement police force and are now demoralized and overwhelmed.
We, in the diaspora, wish to support our nation. However, this brings to mind another unsuccessful attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan. In all of this, there is a lesson to be discovered. Democracy cannot be imposed or suspended on a nation.
These days, we in the diaspora admit to our African friends and Cuban neighbors how we have failed our country by doing nothing. For them, Haiti, which achieved its freedom more than 218 years ago, represented hope for those who had been held captive.
It would be naive to believe that gangs alone are to blame for Haiti’s issues. The bloodshed and violence in the streets are the faults of our Haitian politicians. To win the election, they’ll do anything. But these would-be leaders don’t do what they say they will do. They often hurt people’s faith in them and try to cover up their mistakes by blaming others.
Our leaders have let us down and disappointed us a great deal lately. Haitians are tired of their government and the dysfunctional political system that allowed them to come to power. People are protesting in the streets today to express that enough is enough.
Young adults under 25 make up the majority. They are willing to die at the hands of foreign armies if that is what it takes to take back their country. Haitians are tough and are prepared to sacrifice their lives. Without a government that keeps the law, people who have been disenfranchised, left out, or even abandoned are the ones who commit crimes of opportunity.
We urge unity to reject the planned intervention in Haiti.
We blame the de facto government of Haiti for letting foreign troops fight against Haitians in their own country. We consider this to be cowardly conduct that is treacherous, unpatriotic, and disgraceful.
As part of the United Nations Association of Haiti, the diaspora is ready to provide the transitional leadership our country desperately needs to escape this disaster and move on.
Our three-part action plan includes the following:
Rather than using force to maintain security, a more peaceful strategy would involve open discussions with people camped out on the streets. They must be a part of the solution if they are not the leading cause of the needless killings and terrifying kidnappings.
• Second, we propose substantial relief aid to address the issue of food security as the centerpiece of our community engagement strategy. Our diaspora community has sufficient resources to get by without begging.
Lastly, we are willing to try something new to make significant changes to our democratic system. This would help reduce the ongoing political instability in Haiti and across Africa. This is the most critical issue, namely the holding of future elections. We are looking for explanations in the science that has guided our elections for the past 36 years. In 1987, a new electoral law was enacted. A key piece of legislation made it official that our military-backed dictatorship was over and that we were moving to a new democratic government.
The fault lines that explain why our elections since have resembled reality TV’s American Idol more than a system based on institutional checks and balances can be found somewhere along that reversal of order.
Haiti needs to choose a path that leads to institutional standards and stability instead of staying split up. If we want our next election to go well, Haitians may have to accept changes wherever needed to set up a democratic process that balances the will of the people with the confidence of those who have a stake in it.
We request the assistance of the Haitian community and all allies of Haiti. This is our chance to reclaim our nation. This is your chance to participate in important national decisions actively.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, is urged to uphold Haiti’s sovereignty. No rationale exists for involvement. There is no de facto responsibility to protect (R2P) a government against its citizens.
We desire a peaceful resolution for the sake of our nation and the people of Haiti. We want a future like that. We ought to all strive for that kind of future.
We are prepared to offer the strong leadership that Haitians will look to break this impasse and move our country forward.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
