While the Global Pandemic continues to pose a significant global threat, in Haiti, where medical resources are minimal at best, COVID-19 is just one in a list of serious problems currently effecting the population. Democracy in Haiti, where the first democratically elected president took office on February 7th, 1991, appears to be under siege. Jovenel Moïse assumed office as Haitian President on 7 February, 2017, which should be coming to an end, though whether that term ends in 2021 or 2022 is disputed. Parliament was dissolved in January of 2020 after failed elections in October 2019, and President Moïse, under one-man rule, canceled presidential and all other elections last year.
February 7th is one of the most significant dates in the modern history of Haitian politics. On that day in 1986, Jean Claude Duvalier, AKA Baby Doc, and his family fled into exile in France, after 15 years as president. Baby Doc was forced out after the Haitian population rebelled against 29 years of Duvalier dictatorship. Papa Doc, Francois Duvalier, a physician turned politician proclaimed himself “president for life” and was known for his brutality, ordering the torture, disappearance and killing of his opponents by his special paramilitary force known as the Tonton Macoute. When Francois died in 1971, Jean Claude was handed the presidency at 19 years of age. While not quite the brutal dictator his father was known to be, Baby Doc was notorious for embezzling government funds and using the money to fund his lavish life style. Following his ouster in 1986, the Haitian constitution was ratified on March 1987, and per Article 134-1,” the term of the President is five (5) years. This term begins and ends on the February 7 following the date of elections.” And on February 7, 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide took office as the first democratically-elected president in Haiti’s history, though he was overthrown in a military coup less than eight months later. Ever since, February 7th has become a lightning rod for the Haitian people to take to the streets in protest of a government deaf to the poverty and insecurity faced by the majority of the population.
As February 7 approaches this year, Haiti has seen an increasing uptick of violence and people are bracing for more surrounding the 7th. If you read Healing Art Missions’ (HAM) Newsletters you are aware that violence has kept schools, banks, businesses, and even hospitals closed off and on for well over a year now. Anti-corruption protests became increasingly violent starting in late 2019 when it became public that $2 billion from the Venezuela PetroCaribe oil program was unaccounted for. Last year, even the Police took to the street, violently protesting that they hadn’t been paid in months. Even more concerning is what the Miami Herald called the kidnapping epidemic , and that, “kidnapping victims have included priests, nuns, physicians and market vendors. A number of victims have been U.S. citizens…” Until recently President Moïse has not acknowledged the severity of the kidnapping problem, which Le Nouvelliste, a French-language daily newspaper printed in Port-au-Prince, estimated 160 kidnappings a month in Haiti on average. President Moïse is currently rewriting the constitution to eliminate the existing single five-year term limit and giving the president more power, all the while making it even more difficult for opposition parties to challenge his power.
Adding to all of this is the dismal economic situation in Haiti. The World Bank cites Haiti as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with a Human Development Index ranking of 169 out of 189 countries in 2019. According to The World Bank, “GDP is estimated to have contracted by 1.4% in 2019, and the country has experienced rapid currency depreciation (25.5%), and rampant inflation (17.3%) at the end of the fiscal year.” Since last September the US Dollar has been artificially devalued in Haiti, causing a significant increase in Healing Art Missions’ expenses and decrease in the value of remittances that many Haitians rely on to survive.
Yes, the Global Pandemic is seriously affecting Haiti, but the people of Haiti continue to struggle from a long history of exploitation, international interference, the rule of dictators, and their own struggles with democracy. No one really knows how this year will play out, except that things will continue to get worse as we approach February 7th.
As we’ve reported, we are very proud of our staff who have kept HAM’s programs operating through these challenges. Under the leadership of Dr. Jacques, the clinic continues to provide access to healthcare and clean water, and in Port-de-Paix, Charles and the staff of the Charles Solomon School continue to provide an education for well over 300 children and adults. Healing Art Missions depends on all of us to effectively serve the needs of our Haitian communities. We are grateful that our staff in Haiti and our staff and supporters in the USA have been able to continue to work together throughout these difficult times.
Thank You!