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Haiti has gone from grace to grass
From historical records available of the financial history of Haiti, from its inception as a colony of France in 1697, through the first years of its independence, to Haiti of today; we can safely say that Haiti has gone from grace to grass. In the 18th century Anno Domino, Haiti was a very rich colony, albeit this wealth was obtained off the sweat and blood of its Black African slaves. From its production of sugar, coffee and an array of spices, Haiti made so much money from export of these products, as to make the French colonists the richest in the Americas, and to earn the colony the sobriquet: ?Jewel of the Antilles?.
Before Independence Although there was no formal budgeting as we now know it today, we can safely say that Saint Domingue, as present day Haiti was known, was a very solvent state. The returns on their investment provided the nobility in France, and the colonial planters in Saint Domingue, luxurious life styles far beyond their wildest dreams. Kings of France and their courtiers, fed fat on the taxes from Haiti. When independence came in 1804, Haiti was still a fairly rich state, because the sources of its wealth, sugar and coffee plantations, were kept going through coercive labor imposed on its citizens newly liberated from slavery.
At Independence and soon After. By good management of men and resources, the early fathers of Haitian independence strove very hard to make Haiti a shinning example of what Black men could do if given the chance to govern themselves. They succeeded. Haiti remained a viable economy, until by a criminal conspiracy of the maritime powers of the period, France, Britain, Spain and the United States of America; imposed a total economic blockage on the country. To ensure success of this conspiracy, France extorted from Haiti, the colossal sum of one hundred and fifty million francs, as compensation for loss of property abandoned by its citizens, who ran away during the revolution that led to Haiti?s independence.
The amount of money extorted from Haiti by France in 1843, would today be equivalent to over 22 billion United States dollars. The conspiracy succeeded in its diabolical intent. Haiti?s treasury was emptied, to pay for the French extortion. Proud Haiti became financially bankrupt. It is believed in informed financial circles, that of all the trials and tribulations which beset Haiti soon after independence, this wicked act of financial extortion by France, was and still is the major reason for Haiti?s financial insolvency. That is why the current agitation by advocacy groups that France pay reparations to Haiti, an amount in today?s US dollars commensurable to what it criminally extorted from Haiti in 1843. All men of goodwill should join in this call to France to pay reparations to Haiti.
First 100 Years The first one hundred years after the founding fathers of Haiti had left the scene can best be described as ?years of the locust?. Throughout the rest of the nineteenth century, and the major part of the twentieth century, Haiti suffered serious political instability, which translated to economic instability and financial insolvency. Under successive military and civilian leaders who saw Haiti merely as their personal fiefdom to rule as they wished, and extracted as much money as they could, for their personal aggrandizement; Haiti became a financial basket case. National budgets were created on paper, but implemented by default, to suit the whims and caprices of whoever was in government house.
Coup d?etats were staged for the overthrow of legitimate and not so legitimate governments, by all sorts of ambitious men. Most of these coups were staged at the instigation and sponsorship of foreign powers, and businessman, who hoped to recoup their investments in such coups, through patronage from whoever came to power. From 1843 when the government of President Boyer was sacked, and the president himself ran into exile; to 1915 when American marines were sent into Haiti, ostensibly to stabilize the polity; twenty two men ruled Haiti as presidents for periods ranging from as little as two months to as long as nine years. The criminal neglect of Haiti?s economy by these self seeking rulers ruined Haiti financially.
20th Century Haiti The Americans did a bit of surgical operations on the ailing Haitian economy. They constructed some roads, all of which led, of course, to their primary locus of interest in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. American business interests were well catered for by these newly constructed roads and improvements in other infrastructures like tap water supply and electricity. However, the country as a whole did not gain much financially from the American occupation. Before the Americans in 1934, they installed a puppet regime headed by a mulatto, whose primary qualification for being made president appears to be his ability to protect American enterprises, rather than the welfare of his fellow Haitians. After a succession of indifferent leaders, Dr. Duvalier, alias ?Papa Doc? came on board first as an elected president.
He was soon transmuted to ?President-for-Life?. He had every opportunity to improve the financial fortunes of Haiti, but blew the chance. With good connections in both Washington and ?The World Bank?, he and his son ?Baby Doc? Jean Claude Duvalier who succeeded him, collected more standby credits from the World Bank than any other country on the face of the earth. These World Bank loans along with grants from donor countries and private humanitarian organizations, were meant to supplement government finances in providing poverty alleviation programs for the ordinary people of Haiti. Instead ?Papa Doc and his son, ?Baby Doc? Duvalier along with their cronies and hangers-on, used most of these financial resources to set themselves up in grandiose life styles.
Haiti today The advent of the 21st century promised a change in financial fortunes of Haiti for the better. A lot of multilateral monetary assistance has been promised to Haiti. However, there is a caveat. Release of these loans and grant, meant for development of Haiti?s collapsing infrastructures, are dependent on Haiti swallowing the bitter pill of IMF prescribed ?Structural Adjustment Program?. Part of this program involves privatization of most of Haiti government owned industries and enterprises. It is hoped that by the time this ?Structural Adjustment Program? has run its course, Haiti's economy will go improve. However, in Haiti, where the outflow of capital broadly surpasses the inflow of investments, there is still a lot of work to be done to revamp the economy, and put the ?Jewel of the Antilles? back on a sound financial footing.
Haitianite.com Magazine ? Working Together To Uplift A Nation. For other articles related to History and Politics, please visit Haitianite.com
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