The Truth About Haiti
The relationship between the United States and Haiti is soaked in centuries of blood, greed, and manipulation.
For over two centuries, Haiti has suffered relentless U.S. exploitation, crippling the nation and trapping its people in a cycle of poverty and despair. From forced debts after independence to military occupations and political interference, the U.S. has drained Haiti’s resources and autonomy. As a result, generations have endured hunger, violence, and instability, with hope becoming a rare luxury. The scars of this exploitation run deep in the nation's psyche.
Legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have become the latest victims, mere pawns in Trump's relentless quest for power.
When I lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the late 1970s, many Haitians and Dominicans were neighbors. A Haitian doctor and his family lived in my building at 210 West 101st Street. I saw them daily in the elevator and got to know them from our brief encounters. They were warm, intelligent, and hardworking people.
Having visited a number of Caribbean destinations like Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas, I became curious about the situation in Haiti. I knew that after his death, Papa Doc Duvalier, the brutal dictator who ruled Haiti from 1957 to 1971, his son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier inherited his father's regime of violence, corruption, and authoritarianism. A popular uprising eventually forced him into exile in France in 1986, where he fled with suitcases full of gold and stacks of American cash. And a wife with a shoe collection that put Imelda Marcos to shame.
Over time, one day over coffee, the Doctor spoke in great detail, how Papa Doc inflicted immense harm on the Haitian people through his brutal dictatorship. Papa Doc relied on widespread violence and repression to maintain control over Haiti and created the Tonton Macoutes, a paramilitary force that acted as his personal security and terrorized the population. The Tonton Macoutes were responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances, targeting anyone perceived as a threat to Duvalier’s regime. Including members of the Doctor’s family. My Haitian friend felt lucky to alive and grateful for his family’s life in America.
Uncle Sam and Papa Doc
Papa Doc’s regime received U.S. support during the Cold War due to his strong anti-communist stance. While the relationship was shaped by Cold War geopolitics, Duvalier was not a mere CIA puppet but a dictator who manipulated U.S. interests to secure his power. The U.S. has long influenced Haiti’s political and economic landscape, dating back to its founding in 1804. Haiti’s successful slave revolt and independence terrified world powers, with the U.S. refusing to recognize the new nation until 1862.
The initial reluctance to acknowledge Haiti was rooted in the fact that the U.S. had a vested interest in maintaining slavery. Recognizing a free Black nation would send the wrong message to enslaved people in the United States. It was only during the Civil War, as the U.S. grappled with its own slavery issue, that Haiti and Liberia were recognized—primarily as places where freed slaves could potentially be sent.
Throughout the 20th century, U.S. interference in Haiti intensified, often backing brutal dictatorships and undermining democracy. In 1989, Haiti held its first free elections, and the U.S. expected their preferred elite candidate to win. Instead, populist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, supported by Haiti's poor, claimed victory. Aristide's win was a symbol of hope but soon threatened U.S. interests. Within seven months, a U.S.-backed coup ousted him, leading to a period of brutal repression. Although Aristide returned under Clinton, harsh economic conditions and U.S.-imposed neoliberal policies devastated Haiti's economy, especially its farming industry.
The U.S. government's role during this period was further underscored by reports that, while publicly claiming to be liberating Haiti, they were secretly supplying oil to the military junta that had overthrown Aristide. Despite the Clinton administration's public denials, evidence showed that U.S. companies were quietly providing the junta with the resources it needed to maintain its grip on power, a clear contradiction of the narrative of U.S. intervention as a force for good.
The cycle of U.S. interference continued after Aristide’s return. In 2004, the U.S., Canada, and France intervened again, kidnapping Aristide and exiling him to the Central African Republic, silencing a leader who championed Haiti's poor. Elections proceeded without his party, and Haiti has remained in political turmoil since.
Haiti’s struggles are worsened by its colonial past with France. After independence, Haiti was forced to pay a crippling indemnity to France, draining resources and stunting economic growth for over a century. When Aristide requested reparations, France refused, claiming no obligation to pay.
The tragic irony is that Haiti, which fought so hard for its independence, has been continuously punished by the so-called "civilized" world for defying the status quo. From U.S. military interventions to economic exploitation and discrimination faced by Haitians in America, external forces have consistently undermined Haiti’s sovereignty. While the U.S. claims its involvement aims to bring stability and democracy, the reality is one of exploitation and manipulation, with U.S. interests always prioritized over the well-being of the Haitian people.
A horrific earthquake in Haiti, which struck on August 14, 2021, had devastating effects on the country, compounding the already severe challenges it was facing. The earthquake severely deepened Haiti’s humanitarian crisis, leaving the country in a state of even greater uncertainty and suffering. The road to recovery is long, and the need for sustained international support is critical.
Life in Haiti today is marked by extreme instability, as gangs wield significant power and effectively rule large portions of the country. Anarchy has taken hold, with the government weak and largely unable to control the escalating violence. Armed groups terrorize communities, engaging in kidnappings, extortion, and brutal turf wars. Many areas are inaccessible due to the presence of these gangs, leaving people cut off from essential services like healthcare, education, and food supplies. The constant threat of violence, coupled with widespread poverty, has created a climate of fear and desperation, where survival often feels like the only goal in a once hopeful nation.
It’s no surprise that people seek to escape their brutal existence in hopes of finding a chance at a normal life in the U.S. For many years, that has been the story of America, a nation of immigrants.
No more.
In Springfield, Ohio today, because of Trump and his minions, thousands of legal Haitian immigrants now fear for their lives. These immigrants, many of whom fled Haiti’s history of political instability, natural disasters, and economic devastation, now find themselves targeted by policies that undermine their safety and livelihood in the United States.
Instead of a new opportunity and refuge, they face the threat of deportation, increased xenophobia, and harsh immigration measures that strip them of the security they sought in America. Their contributions to local communities are disregarded as they are treated as political pawns, forced to live in fear of what might come next.
And that’s the reality for the long-suffering people of Haiti—not the trash spewed by Trump and Vance..
When Trump started railing against Haitians, I thought of my doctor friend from the Upper West Side. It was time to dig deeper. I found a couple of Noam Chomsky lectures on the subject. They became the backbone of what you're reading. Oliver Stone’s **Untold History of the United States** helped. That’s an eight part documentary series that should be seen. As well as Howard Zinn’s **A People’s History of the United States**.
Zinn, like Chomsky, made it clear. U.S. interventions weren’t about democracy. They were about power. They served American elites and hurt the people they claimed to help. The truth wasn’t pretty, but it was there. Zinn’s words cut through the official story, and Chomsky made sure you couldn't look away.
Presidental Politics, American Style
There’s always one absurd issue the Republican candidate seizes upon to attack their opponent, but this time it’s more than just dirty politics—it’s an attempt to tear the country apart. In 2004, it was the Swift Boating of John Kerry. In 1988, Michael Dukakis was crushed with the Willie Horton fiasco. All built on lies, driven by a desperate bid for power.
For Trump, it’s not just about power anymore. Losing means facing endless court battles—and likely prison. And desperate people do desperate, dangerous things when cornered. If you think it’s ugly now, brace yourself—it’s only going to get darker as November approaches.
Right now, Republicans have Haitians in their crosshairs. But if Trump returns to power, more immigrant groups will be scapegoated, and American democracy as we know it will collapse. Project 2025 is already circulating ideas of camps and detention centers. Immigrants will be the first targets—but who’s next? Journalists, people of color, and women, who could lose all reproductive rights. The future of the nation is on the line, and it’s up to ordinary people to take a stand. Vote!
Bret, Well said.
In March I worked as an interpreter for the government of Mexico. They hired me to work with a group of Haitian policemen who were interested in building the same CCTV system they have in Mexico. Man, were they desperate. They told me they were the only country in the world to have a ghost president since Colombians had assassinated him two years before. They still have portraits of him hanging in the walls of Haitian administrations though, but still no elections soon. No army because the US didn't allow them to have one. Only one or two neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince were controlled by the government. The whole country is under the rule of gang members. The capital has been one of the filthiest capitals in the world for about forty years now... Cholera is actually a thing there. Earthquakes and hurricanes keep destroying the country every two years or so, etc. So, yeah, the diaspora everywhere in the world is their only hope. But, just like Palestinians, Congolese, Soudanese, etc. they are not considered as human beings by the common westerner. Walking deads definitely, but not human beings. So, sure, when Trump says this nonsense, MAGA supporters start to imagine zombies attacking Midwest cities instead of understanding the deep shit human beings have been undergoing for hundreds of years now. Problem is there's no hope for Haitians in Haiti. Their fate is to suffer or to flee from their countries and suffer a little less. I don't think they care too much of Trump supporters. They come from real hell.