The previous military occupations of Haiti “all brought disease, hunger, poverty and destruction,” says David Oxygène.By Cécile Accilien ,
The Biden administration is again pushing for military intervention in Haiti, in part due to the fear of Haitian immigrants coming to the United States, but also as a result of an imperialist mindset that is focused on physically controlling Haiti.
The U.S. mainstream media constantly present Haiti as a country that is collapsing without presenting geopolitical, colonial and structural contexts regarding this collapse. Since de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested military intervention on October 7, the crisis has worsened. Most recently, gangs killed 12 people and set several homes on fire in Cabaret, a town in the northwest of Port-au-Prince.
The United Nations warns that Haiti is “on the verge of an abyss,” yet the world seems to just be watching. Back in November, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted, “The situation in #Haiti is getting worse: Violence and abuses are escalating; a humanitarian crisis is growing. Today I appealed to all States not to forcibly return Haitians to their country and to give them access to asylum procedures if requested.”
Notwithstanding Grandi’s plea, deportations of Haitians from the Dominican Republic have increased dramatically in recent weeks, with Haitians being deported in trucks with caged doors. The United States, too, has been deporting Haitians indiscriminately. In September 2021, Haitians were treated worse than animals at the Texas border, while in June of this year, President Biden welcomed Ukrainian children to the United States with smiles and hugs.
In all the geopolitical maneuvering surrounding the current situation in Haiti, the realities of everyday life in that country are often lost. Survival is the term that best describes Haitians’ state of being these days. Ensekirite (insecurity) has been a way of life for months now. In our conversations, my friends and family members in Haiti convey a sense of resignation. The day or the hour you just lived through is the only one you can count on. A close family member told me that many people have to check with a representative of the various gang members in the streets for permission before they can even attempt to leave their homes.