Jdgon writes:

"America: Defenders or Destroyers of Democracy?

The US Government has demonstrated its blatant disregard and disrespect for a democratically elected Caribbean leader and a poorer and smaller third world country (Haiti) consistently over the past eight years.This is evidenced by their manipulative, and exploitive actions towards Haiti and towards ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide, and their dismissive treatment of Caricom and the Caribbean leaders.

We first need to understand how instrumental the US Government was in starving Haiti of financial aid, the result of which was a chain reaction that led to the civil unrest, public disatisfaction of Haiitians and ultimately, the local Haitian support of rebels against the Aristide Presidency.

In 1994 when Clinton reinstated Aristide, the US Governement insisted Aristide institute strict IMF measures that were bound to destroy what little struggling economy strngholds Haiti had left in place. One of these struggling sources of economic revenue was agriculture. In 1994, Haiti had still retained some form of agricultural market for crops such as quality coffee, cocoa and sugar cane (for export) as well as: rice and sorghum for domestic consumption. However, the US governement insisted that Aristide lower all tariffs on US imported agriculture crops, furtherr exploiting and delivering damage to Haiti's already weak economy.



To make matters worse, when Haitian authorities dared to put up licenses on imported US rice to save what hey could of their local rice market, the US government froze all financial aid promised to Haiti in totals of $500 million US dollars as a form of "punishment" to Haiti and her people, and of course, to Aristide.



Haiti's economy has never been balanced...imagine that 1% of Haiti owns 50% of its resources. This could never be fair or healthy for the country. Aristide had always been a champion of the poor, and his promises to his people in the 2000 elections were looked upon with great expectation by Haiti's too long-suffering people. However, his promises of equal economic distribution were destroyed by the greedy US Government, concerned only with how much they could suck out of an already barren market.

This in turn left the gate wide open for discontent and for rebels to begin stirring up support for anti-Aristide causes. "Hungry bellies neither know nor care about IMF. Poor people want only what deliverance from their misery, and if they can no longer produce the few crops that brought them relief form hunger, they do not see as far as Washington or Paris. They see Aristide. He becomes the problem."-Rafiqu Shah



But this is not all...the US has dug itself a digger grave than any could have imagined.

Allegations against the US Government accusing it of kidnapping ex-President Aristide and forcing him to sign an agreement to retire from office against his will, must not go ignored. There is too large a variable of doubt currently circulating, especially in the Caribbean, which involves the belief that ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide was not "escorted" from the Presidential Palace on his own volition.



A BBC world news report indicated that Aristide had said that was in effect forced from office, having been warned that thousands would die, including himself maybe, if he did not agree to go. He told CNN that it was a "real coup d'etat...a modern way to have a modern kidnapping." According to one source, Aristide resisited even while going up the stairs to the aircraft alongside his wide and some 40 aides.



The week previous to his removal, Aristide had said that he was prepared to agree to a proposal of power sharing with the opposition to the UN that would allow him to complete his term in office by 2006 and not seek re-election.Just hours before he was kidnapped, Aristide had gone on local television and on French radio saying emphatically that his resignation was "out of the question." Do you think he willingly resigned?



In conclusion, there are enough questionable factors that need to come under consideration on this matter. Caricom has filed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping, and they have been receiving backing and support from organizations such as 'Black Caucus of United States Congress'.



Critics of Washington say that the current freeze on aid worth $500 million will have to be lifted as soon as possible. They make it sound as if it was their idea. For so long Haiti has been starving, begging, and Aristide, the champion of the poor has been repeatedly calling for aid and struggling with the economic fallout.



However, because of US greed and their constant mission to rule and conquer, Aristide is now shown as a tyrant, a supporter of vicious gangs and the man who put Haiti in jeopardy by supporting drug trafficking through the country. No evidence has even been brought forward to prove these claims as yet.



I support Caricom in its statement that it refuses to be party to any arrangement that would in effect be rewarding "intransigence" and "armed rebellion" to get rid of a legitimate Head of State. For America to support this method of "assistance" to countries in turmoil, to me is blatant disrespect and abject disregard for democracy and a country's independence.



Haiti's ambassador said it best in these words: "Haitians gave their lives for democracy. Following the last coup (1991-1994) more than 5,000 Haitians died fighting for democracy and they were poor then surely to remove the President in this way is to encourage the destruction of democracy." I would also add, that this precedent America is setting for the Caribbean may be a dangerous one for the future of Caribbean states.



Through all these allegations and more America has achieved its goal of ridding Haiti of a leader that was supported by the people and elected by the people. America has in fact become the rebel. America has become the enemy, the enemy of third world democracy.

-- Jdgon, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, West Indies