Red Cross volunteers in action. Picture by International Red Cross Federation
To use people’s disorientation and country’s political instability in the wake of natural or political catastrophes as an opportunity to enforce unpopular, anti-social policies, serving the interests of a narrow local elite and, above all, Western governments, has been a strategy used by the American government and right-wing circles of power since the general’s Pinochet’s coup in Chile.
It’s been largely described and documented in the book of Naomi Klein, “The Shock Doctrine”. This scenario has been already partly realised in Haiti, after the hurricanes struck this country in 2008. Activists around the world are mobilizing to prevent further seizing of the power over Haiti by multinationals protected by American and Western governments. In one hour which I spent writing this text, the facebook group dedicated do debt relief has got more that 100 new members.
And there is already a small but significant chance for victory!
„The Nation”, the longest existing left-wing newspaper in the United States, 15th January has published an information that IMF (International Monetary Fund) is going to lend Haiti 100 million dollars.
This loan, however, rather than help the country rebuild, would be likely to worsen its economic situation.
It would almost double the existing Haiti’s debt, which is currently 165 million dollars. The origins of this debt are shameful for the West. It reaches back to 1804, the year of Haiti’s popular uprising, which brought the country’s political independence from France. To avoid French embargo, however, Haitians, former French slaves, were obliged to pay reparations to their masters. Since then the country never liberated itself from the debt.
Also Haiti’s political independence is doubtful. Its hugely popular president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has been overthrown by a military coup supported by USA after he had demanded slave-debt restitution from France.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, the American right and the IMF see a chance to further dominate the country politically and economically.
IMF has already been pressuring the Haitian government to raise prices for electricity, refuse to pay increases to all public employees except those making minimum wage and keep inflation low.
On of the biggest right-wing think-tanks, Heritage foundation, writes its policy proposals on its webpage:
“Long-term reforms for Haitian democracy and its economy are also badly overdue. Congress should immediately begin work on a package of assistance, trade, and reconstruction efforts needed to put Haiti on its feet and open the way for deep and lasting democratic reforms.”
After the wave of criticism, however, yesterday, 20th of January IMF issued a statement, in which its Managing Director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn declared: “The most important thing is that the IMF is now working with all donors to try to delete all the Haitian debt, including our new loan. If we succeed—and I’m sure we will succeed—even this loan will turn out to be finally a grant, because all the debt will have been deleted. And that’s the very important thing for Haiti now (…)”.
This is a milestone declaration of the IMF and it highlights the big role of the activist community. Its task now is to hold the IMF accountable. It must also pressure for the restoration of the Haiti’s legitimately elected government of President Aristide.
The international mobilisation seems to be growing. Facebook group “No shock doctrine for Haiti” counts already almost 20 thousand people, petition sent by ONE International organization was signed by over 120 thousand people. The author of the article in “The Nation”, Richard Kim, states: “it’s time to stop having a conversation about charity and start having a conversation about justice-about recovery, responsibility and fairness. What the world should be pondering instead is: What is Haiti owed?”
