MIM Notes No. 200      December 15, 1999

U$ army leaves Haiti, but imperialist control continues

by MC53

Five years after the most recent armed u.$. invasion of Haiti, 
Amerika is decreasing its troop presence. Rhetoric behind the 1994 
invasion portrayed the u.$. actions as a heroic action to promote 
democracy, yet the material conditions of Haitians continue to 
worsen.

The relationship between Haiti and the United Snakes of 
Imperialism demonstrates how imperialists combine military, 
economic and political coercion to exploit the oppressed. Military 
violence backed by or directly perpetrated by the u.$ can 
temporarily recede, but the violence wreaked by imperialism 
continues regardless.

Following nearly a century of imperialist control, stifling 
national economic growth, Haiti's per capita income is one-tenth 
of the Latin American average,(1) approximately $250.(2) As of 
1996, the per capita portion of Haitian debt "owed" to imperialist 
lenders was $122.(3) Haitian life expectancy is only 57 years 
compared to a 69 year average in Latin America(1) and the U.$. 
life expectancy of 73 for men and close to 80 years old for 
wimmin.(4)

Imperialism steals from the Haitian people to swell the 
imperialist nation standard of living. Amerikan corporations 
extract surplus value as they exploit labor and export capital 
with low tariffs. And increasingly, Haitians are expected to pay 
for World Bank projects that allegedly rebuild the country but in 
fact just make it an easier target for international imperialists 
while the Haitian people face on-going poverty.

The u.$. owes reparations to the Haitian people for nearly a 
century of surplus value and natural resource extraction, 
enslavement of the people and destruction of the national economy. 
Yet imperialist piranhas continue refusal to cancel debt 
accumulated by Haiti, the poorest country in the 'western' 
hemisphere, despite the fact that Amerika made Haiti poor.

Dependency causes poverty

Seventy-five percent of Haitians live in abject poverty, according 
to the CIA.(4) Conditions are most severe for the 80% of the 
population which lives in the rural areas. The World Bank claims 
that 20% of the country's resources go to the rural areas. In 
reality it is much less when we account for the imperialist 
corporations that are sucking the nation's resources dry.

Unemployment in Haiti is between 60 and 70% and illiteracy 
surpasses 70%.(2) Only about 20% of secondary-school age children 
are able to attend school.(1)

Epidemics of measles, meningitis, rabies, anthrax and tuberculosis 
are not surprising considering the dearth of adequate medical 
care. About 25% of children have access to basic vaccination.(1) 
Per capita Haitian health care expenditure is about $21, compared 
to $38 in Sub-Saharan Africa and $202 in Latin America.(1) About 
25% of the entire population has access to safe water.(1)

In 1997, exports from Haiti totaled $110 million, but 
imperialists, primarily the u.$., dumped $486 million worth of 
imports.(4) Haiti primarily exports light manufacturing products 
and imports are mostly heavy industry products.(4) This was 
formally adopted as a so-called development strategy in the early 
1980s when USAID and the World Bank imposed structural adjustment 
programs that turned Haiti into primarily a cash crop economy.

China demonstrated that self-sufficiency of a country formerly 
bombarded and occupied by imperialists was possible. Socialist 
China emphasized proletarian control to meet the needs of the 
people. China emphasized the development of agriculture to feed 
the people -- as opposed to cash crops. Within the industrial 
sector, China emphasized heavy industry as the leading factor, 
though not to the point of ignoring light and medium industry. As 
long as the imperialists control the development direction of the 
Haitian nation, its people will never be free from poverty and 
exploitation.

Debt perpetuates poverty

Amerika would like the world to think that the invasion of Haiti 
in 1994 was a good thing. But the military invasion paved the way 
for imperialist corporations to further profit from the poor 
conditions rather than helping the people of Haiti. External 
"debt" of the government of the Republic of Haiti reached US$1.1 
billion as of 1997, whereas it was US$302 million in 1980.(3)

The World Bank says: "External support remains crucial to Haitian 
economic recovery and efforts at poverty reduction, accounting for 
about 15 percent of GDP in 1997."(1) This 'external support' comes 
in the form of loans bankrolling so-called humanitarian projects. 
World Bank projects, like the Power V Project, the Water Supply 
Project, and the Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project, are 
manufactured not for the interests of the people, but for 
imperialist corporations. Imperialist corporations are contracted 
for these projects and the Haitian people must take out loans to 
pay the imperialists and their banks. Haiti is receiving about 
US$2 billion in loans and grants from what the imperialists call 
"the international donor community."(1) But considering that Haiti 
must pay 17 cents for debt service on every dollar in loans and 
grants, this is not a donation.(3)

At the same time that Haiti must pay for loans that line Amerikan 
pockets, the u.$. and the government of Haiti have made an 
"Investment Incentive Agreement" which exempts corporations from 
taxes and from Haitian laws regarding insurance or financial 
organizations.(5) Between the loans and the economic policies the 
U.$. has effectively established a very profitable and 
exploitative relationship with Haiti.

Military means toward exploitation ends

Haiti was the first colony in the West to go down to a slave 
rebellion. It has suffered at the hands of imperialism ever since. 
The u.$. occupied and ruled Haiti from 1915 to 1934, then backed a 
series of dictators, including the Duvaliers, until 1990, when 
Aristide won a presidential election. In 1991, Aristide was 
overthrown in a military coup likely led by, and definitely 
supported by, the CIA. The u.$ continued to train military 
officers in Haiti after the coup.

In 1994 Amerika invaded and formally set up the process of 
training the Haitian military in the art of "democratic" 
repression. This process led to the current imperialist-puppet 
"civilian" rule, headed by President Preval. As elections approach 
in March and April of 2000, violence continues and is expected to 
rise.(2)

Of the original 1994 23,000-troop invasion force, only 500 
Amerikan troops are officially stationed in Haiti. Most remaining 
will return to Amerika soon leaving a small force called the U.S. 
Support Group Haiti under the guise of working on healthcare and 
construction projects.(2) Having established a strong puppet 
government and military within Haiti, the u.s. no longer needs its 
own troops on the ground. This is the goal of neo-colonialism 
around the world.

Liberal Amerikan opposition to the u.$. domination of Haiti died 
soon after imperialist forces took control and declared Haiti to 
be an emerging democracy. As communists, we recognize that 
military control is only a portion of imperialism's machinations 
to exploit and expand capitalism. Advocacy to end military 
intervention or any other single aspect of imperialist hegemony 
must firmly be placed within the context of ending imperialism 
entire.

Root cause of poverty: imperialism; Solution: anti-imperialism

The current government has prioritized kowtowing to the IMF's 
structural adjustment programs, including privitization, low 
tariffs for foreign corporations, dismissal of social needs and 
even putting up for sale Haiti's seaports.(2) The imperialist 
solution is to keep the comprador bourgeoisie doing imperialist 
dirty work through promises to modernize Haiti's national banking 
system. The imperialists also push for a stronger Haitian police 
force and penal system.(1)

The imperialists are still treating Haiti as they did in the 19th 
century: as a savage nation to be controlled and ran-sacked. 
Imperialists blame corruption and political instability for 
poverty in Haiti but dishonestly absolve the u.$. of its role. 
They will continue to justify whatever action is necessary to best 
exploit the people. For as long as the imperialists say that "the 
basic problems of governance remain and are at the core of the 
country's poverty problems"(1) the imperialists can claim that 
intervention is necessary to save the Haitian people.

Haiti is but one example that Third World nations are not 'better 
off' with IMF/WB/USAID or other imperialist intervention. These 
agencies merely pave the way for smoother exploitation of the 
people. We call on those who think that such material conditions 
should be eradicated in the 21st century to work with MIM in 
opposing imperialism entire whether it takes the form of military, 
economic, political or social control.

Notes:

1. http://www.worldbank.org/html/

2. The Haitian Times at: http://www.haitiantimes.com/news.html

3. http://www.jubilee2000uk.org/

4. http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ha.html

5. http://www.usia.gov/abtusia/posts/HA1/wwwhk00e.html

6. http://www.peacec0..

article edited by MC17