It pains me to repeat this premise, supported by historic precedents, that in countries lacking democratic ideals and practices, where there are no viable democratic institutions, where autocratic leaders govern with impunity, it is only a matter of time before such countries implode. But violence is never the answer. Violence only begets more violence. It is the hard truth. History repeats itself and the suffering of the people continues.
The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Möise and injuring his wife, First Lady Martine Möise, are abhorrent acts which have no support in modern society. This must be condemned, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. However, this raises other questions. With a chaotic environment and arguably a corrupt judicial system, is justice possible in Haiti? If nothing else, past practices suggest not.
It further pains me to recognize the fact that CARICOM, the OAS, and the United Nations have repeatedly failed the Haitian people in helping them to establish a system of governance worthy of a modern democratic society. There is no real accountability for any political leader deviating from democratic norms and abusing the powers of office to suppress basic freedoms. Möise has governed Haiti by decree for over a year without an elected parliament. He was accountable to no one.
To begin with, CARICOM, an organization made up of mostly democratic governments, has time and again, proven its uselessness in helping Haiti resolve its issues. I have warned in the past that CARICOM leaders should not ignore creeping autocratic trends in the region, including among traditional democratic member states. CARICOM leaders have been absent from this discussion.
The OAS, reduced to a feckless regional organization during its dominance and manipulation by the Trump administration, has become a moribund organization and a mere shadow of its mission and purpose. The OAS lacks credibility on hemispheric affairs.
The President of Haiti was one of Trump’s hapless sycophants in the OAS. He was rewarded with increased US assistance and inclusion in the Mar-a-Lago five. Can the region look to the OAS to play a meaningful role in Haiti? This is rather doubtful. Interestingly, one of Trump administration’s most ardent critics in the OAS, the government of Antigua and Barbuda, now leads CARICOM. Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne assumed chairmanship of CARICOM at the beginning of July. Can CARICOM leaders expect any meaningful action in and by the OAS? That will more likely prove a waste of time. Can the US act through the OAS? We will see.
The United Nations, despite many attempts at dealing with the “Haitian crisis” which never seems to end, has never been able to satisfactorily fulfill its mandates in Haiti. The UN generally overstays its welcome in Haiti before being able to build the institutional underpinnings of a viable democratic state. Sometimes it is the UN’s fault, but it is often due to the lack of patience of the Haitian people who expect quick fixes to century old problems. The truth is no organization can impose on the Haitian people any form of democratic governance without their support. A proud and resilient people, the Haitians generally believe if left alone they can solve their own problems. Haitians believe they should dictate the terms of outside assistance. I have my doubts there is any winning formula.
The UN Security Council will no doubt take up the situation in Haiti. CARICOM member state, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is a current member. Will CARICOM seek to influence decisions in the Security Council on Haiti? There is extraordinarily little on which to place much hope. In the year and a half of SVG’s tenure in the Council, CARICOM’s voice has featured only marginally. I fully understand the limitations of non-permanent SC members, but if managed effectively, there are significant opportunities for influence.
Among the many problems facing Haiti is the constant drumbeat of corruption. Successive US governments have paid lip service to this problem. The perpetual state of humanitarian crisis in Haiti, created by natural and man-made disasters, tend to create an environment in which corrupt Haitian leaders are easily manipulated to serve Washington’s purposes. Instead of condemning and punishing, they are rewarded for their blind support of the American government, particularly on hemispheric issues in the OAS. Despite repeated calls by members of the US Congress with a history of support of the Haitian people for accountability of President Möise’s government, the Trump administration, rewarded Möise with increased US support to keep him entrenched as leader of Haiti.
The Biden administration preoccupied with other “urgent” global issues has continued Trump’s support for Haiti. One could argue maintaining the status quo pending a new Haitian policy is partially due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti and such support helps the Haitian people. Thus far, the Biden administration has failed to articulate a comprehensive hemispheric policy including a specific policy on Haiti. This new crisis in Haiti will elicit an ad hoc response from the Biden Administration but it will not be good enough. A comprehensive policy on Haiti is needed and the people of Haiti cannot wait in perpetuity.
The Haitian president’s assassination should be a wake-up call for Caribbean leaders to re-examine CARICOM’s role in the region. They will condemn this heinous act but mere statements of condemnation of Moise’s assassination are not enough. Caribbean leaders will feign surprise and say such acts have no place in the Caribbean. They will not say anything about the dangers of creeping autocratic rule in the region, the lack of democracy and rule of law, and corrupt governance on the future of Caribbean states. There will be no self-evaluation because they all believe it could not happen to them.
© 2021 Curtis A. Ward/The Ward Post
I am of the view that HAITI needs a reset. History will show that Haiti is the second-oldest after the United States in the Western Hemisphere. This is a country that had to pay for money to gain diplomatic acceptance and even this happened the USA did not accept that – The US is the first country to OCCUPY Haiti. Haiti never got a chance to actually start right – their entire system is still fully based of the French model. This is a country that has been consistently been threatened to be occupied by other nations. I think being a member of CARICOM – CARICOM should be louder in assisting in reconstructing HAITI. Haiti has been leaning heavily on the other countries.
I have nothing much to add to what is written above except take care they come try arrest you for inciting.
What is Democracy is it a way of leaving or a way our slave masters developed to control us long after they gone.
From what I saw happened in America this year if you call that Democracy then we all leaving a lie.
My take on this subject Democracy is a system created to hold back a certain class of people yet make them believe otherwise.
3rd world people need to look above this BS the so call G7 nation put up for us and not using it for themselves.
If communism rather than a market driven democracy you want I suggest you go and live in either Cuba or China. I don’t think you will face to many problems since the government of DA holds friendly ties with both of these human right defying nations. A word of warning though, you might fall foul of their narcotics legislation and that without a doubt would be the end of your dreams!
This article is replete with unmitigated TRUTHS. Most of the Caribbean countries are now quasi dictatorships. If the citizenry of the region continue to act with indifference and remain blind to the present trends, the Caribbean will soon be littered with full-blown dictatorships.
Only the power of the people can repel the growing power of these budding autocrats. People, stop sitting on your hands and use your limbs and voices to save your countries from falling over the precipice.
Cooper both you and % areJACKA’S In the 2019 elections Skerrit won by 7,219 votes.He is the one who rebuilt Dominica after Maria.Dominica belong to LABOUR until Labourites decide,SKERRIT is untouchable.Anything wrong happening to Skerrit and his family,people will PAY.A minority of UWP lazy,lying BBF want to control a majority.
Reggie, you are hallucinating. Skerrit rebuilt DA?? He emptied the state coffers, that’s all your PM has done since he took office.
What baffles me about this assassination is the alleged involvement of mercenaries from Central America, in particular. The current slate of CARICOM Heads are too preoccupied themselves with getting rich and redistributing governmental funds to their own coffers and that of a select few delusional supporters. Dominica’s greedy passport sellers is a case in point. We can start by allowing and fostering more inter travel between Haiti and the rest of the region, but security would have to be in place to provide safety for travelers. Given the current state of things in Haiti at the moment, I am not sure who would risk life and limb to visit Haiti at this juncture.
Clearly, funding agencies should work with the Haitian government to identify areas of need and address these areas, while putting no monies in the hands of corrupt politicians themselves.
Are you guys serious? A white man speaks and you so eagerly fall in line. You still have so much to learn.
Are you the Chinese Ambassador to Dominica? For sure you sound like it.
I agree with the opening statement that Caricom, the OECS, the OAS are a waste of time. No need to flog that horse because every school child knows it. I have to take issue with the premise that war and violence is a waste of time and only begets more violence and doesn’t solve issues. I disagree. The bible tells us from time immemorial there was war in heaven. Why did God use war and violence to resolve that problem and there hasn’t been any known conflict in heaven since. When properly executed war can solve problems, look at Germany and Japan. Following the US civil war there hasn’t been any significant uprising in America. Britain defeated Argentina in the war of the Maldives and there isn’t any continued hostility. The list is long. Granted some badly handled conflicts continue to fester. The Haitian people must come together and decide what they want for the morass in their country to finally get resolved. Caricom should be able to assist in this if it stops just taking.
The Gatekeepers of Democracy and Justice at the CARICOM and OAS level are themselves very corrupt.
See the Choksi issue involving 2 of the so called regional leaders. See the CBI programs run by these countries and monies squandered and held outside traditional governmental systems.
I’m not a pessimist but a realist. Our current cadre of Caribbean Leaders are a blight on our society.
TRUTH TO POWER I SAY!
Caricom leaders believe it could never happen to dem because they can blind their supporters with tokens!
Caricom came speedily to Dominica on the eve of December 2019 General elections…imagine dat!!!!!…..and de situation in Haiti is far worse than blocking roads in salisbury!!!! Caricom doesn’t have de moral fortitude to address creeping autocratic leadership among our own Caricom leaders!!!
your final paragraph says it all
@dissident
They (the RSS) cannot go because Haiti is replete with gangs, and gangs and gangs, and more gangs… The Haitians will drive them back., and eat them up!!!!
It’s only in Dominica on the eve of a general election the RSS can come to and gas a sleeping village..
How the result of that 2019 election stood???. I dont know.
But CARICOM is indeed a waste!!!
I hope Skerrit will take note. I say this not only for Dominica’s sake but also for his sake. If he thinks he is untouchable I feel it my duty to tell him otherwise.
@Cooper
He listens only to a small group of greedies, sucking the country dry, and you ars not one of them. Time will tell..
Pray that i have life to see!!
Cooper, No one is safe not even you those of you who think what happens in Haiti can happen here just because those lazy scumbags so-called Workers clowns cannot beat Labour government at the poll, will get them out by violence think again that is all I will say for now!!!
You would be the first one to run like a frightened little spring hare. The likes of you are all mouth but nothing to back it up with. That is all I will say for now!!!
Hello you would be surprised of what I can do and trained to do.
I asked you before to give me your address. I know you live in the UK. I would love to pay you a visit and slightly ‘re-adjust’ your way of thinking. I also know that you claim to have been in the Army. Great, presumably as a member of the catering corps with special duties in peeling potatoes. Soldier… don’t make me laugh! WHIMP!
@Cooper –
Careful, The USA has its own mega issues. You need to be careful.
Some people when they are up and you are down going up its good as long as you are down – when they are up going down and you are down going up they will want to keep you down – it does not matter how far down they are.