In Haiti, Canada Can Be Relied on to Support Oligarchic Gangsterism
For decades, Canada has been a consistent bulwark against the success of popular forces in Haiti. As Haiti’s capital is engulfed in protests and violence, Canadian calls for international intervention to “help” sound ominous, not reassuring.
Haitian police patrol Port-au-Prince, July 7, 2022. (RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)
In the early twentieth century, Rosa Luxemburg popularized the saying “Socialism or barbarism,” which leftists of various stripes have adopted or modified ever since. The current struggle in Haiti pits the forces both sides of this dichotomy in stark terms: on one side are those seeking reforms in line with the policies of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide — attempts to climb from misery to “poverty with dignity” — and on the other side are those seeking oligarchic gangsterism. For the last several decades, Canada, unfortunately, has been firmly on the latter side.
In recent months, gang warfare and violence have engulfed Port-au-Prince and other parts of Haiti. Many Haitians in already difficult circumstances have been further victimized by kidnappings and gang battles. The dire situation requires immediate action. In light of Canadian activity in the region, the recent flurry of Canadian calls for international intervention to “help” sound ominous, not reassuring.
With Friends Like These . . .
The Canadian-backed head of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, recently called for the return of United Nations soldiers to Haiti, and Canada’s permanent representative to the OAS, Hugh Adsett, told the body, “Canada is ready, willing and able to accompany Haitians on this path to emerge from the crisis.” Adsett added, “We call on the OAS to engage in constructive efforts and thus act as a force to draw in actors to help them.”
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