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!
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