Haitian Activists seek Solidarity with Canadians and Progressive Canadian Organizations

By Theresa Wolfwood

Ginette Apollon and Loulou Chéry came to Victoria on a cross-Canada speaking tour to tell Canadians the truth about their country. Dedicated labour and human rights activists, they have been jailed, harassed and assaulted by authorities for their role in helping workers, the unemployed and the oppressed of Haiti. Chéry is the leader of the Confederation of Haitian workers, Haiti’s largest union which includes agricultural workers, construction workers, labourers and many other occupations.                       

Haiti is one the poorest countries in the world – the poorest in our hemisphere; yet it is a land rich in culture and resources. It was the first country to become an independent black republic and the only nation ever to result from a slave rebellion and became independent on Jan.1, 1804.

There are more than eight million people in Haiti – poor health services and poverty lead to an infant mortality rate 6x that of Canada and a life expectancy 30 years less than in Canada. There is an incredible rate of unemployment – 80%. Our visitors represent labour unions with many members without jobs. Our guests told us that work creates not only livelihood but liberty and dignity. But Haiti has been subject to two centuries of foreign invasion, exploitation and support of dictatorship. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted with the help of Canada, USA & France in 2004, said that the wealth of Haiti sits in French banks, while the people are without livelihood.

Haiti has become a land of violent disorder since the popular president, elected by the poor majority, was kidnapped & forcible exiled by the USA (via an airport ‘secured’ by Canadian military). Canada was part of this latest invasion using the ominous sounding euphemism “responsibility to protect” as an excuse.  It is increasingly difficult for labour unions and human rights groups to work under the foreign imposed oppression.
When Ginette returned home from a meeting with Pres. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, she was detained & harassed by police. These leaders have escaped many assassination attempts and frequently must go into hiding.

Ginette is a nurse; she is President of the Health Workers Union. She said women are the first victims in any crisis. Those who do work, work in factories for $2/day under appalling conditions. They work in fear, but must feed their families. Many women are sole providers in families.  Others are forced into the sex trade.
Social services established by Aristide have been cut or eliminated – schools, lunch programs, clinics, literacy campaigns and work standards – all attacked and destroyed. Aristide’s government also had women minister, freedom of assembly, land reform, community kitchens and food stores, and many education and job training programs.
Journalist and French writer Thierry Meyssan reports that France and United States agreed in the summer of 2003 to a joint plan to prepare a coup d'etat against the ousted president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, due, among others things, to Washington's strategic interests in the region and to utilize the country as a base of operations to finish off Fidel Castro "within five months". The other motive would be French reaction to Aristide's decision to demand that Paris refund debt payments contracted with the former colony throughout the XIX century.

Loulou said said, “We are now an occupied country”. Again – it might be said - and this time with the help of Canada. The visitors need solidarity and support from Canadian workers and activists.

Many Canadian unions are working with Haitian unions.  But our present government is continuing the well planned polices of the Liberals, giving credibility and recognition to the USA-backed coup. Canadians should be raising the issue of our government’s nasty role in the abuses of Haitian sovereignty and democracy. Although an Aristide colleague won and was finally recognized as the winner, the occupation, the brutality and neoliberal dismantling of Haiti’s services for people continues.
We are guilty if we stand silent and do not speak out against injustice wielded in our name. As Loulou said, this is a brutal occupation, similar to that of Palestine. Canada must end its complicity in invasion, occupation and destruction of Haiti.
For a thorough historic background read PRESS FOR CONVERSION Issue #20 March 2007.
It is an excellent resource on Canada role in Haiti. Contact: overcoat(at)rogers.com *
For an current view see Haiti Update by Andrée Scott following this article.
For more information to read & to get involved - contact: haitisolidaritybc(at)resist.ca *
* The use of (at) instead of @ in websites is to prevent automatic spamming. Please use @ if you contact these addresses.