In its early years as a wealthy French colony, Haiti was the envy of European imperial powers; however, in the last two centuries it has undergone a major transformation from a blooming Caribbean colony to an economically, socially, environmentally, and politically troubled nation. Since the slave revolt of 1791 and subsequent independence in 1804, Haiti's history has been plagued by corrupt and destructive leadership as well as by a struggle for political power between the urban mulatto elites and the predominantly poor, black, rural community (Foster 3, Haggerty, Tata, Weinstein 1). As a result, roughly two-thirds of the population lives in poverty, half of adults are illiterate, and health services are inadequate to address high infant and maternal mortality and major public health crises. [Moreover], real per capita gross domestic product fell at a rate of 2 percent during the 1980's and 2.5 percent during the 1990's. (quoted in "Haiti Country Assistance Evaluation Report")
[...] Aristide replaced this system with a rural police force under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. (Stotzky 27-28) Despite the positive results, violence soon arose after the election. Even before Aristide was sworn into office, military and paramilitary forces challenged his claim to the presidency in unsuccessful coups and coup attempts. In September of 1991 the military finally succeeded and subsequently governed the country through a period often referred to as the “reign of terror.” Many of the democratic reforms accomplished under Aristide were reversed during this time. [...]
[...] Perhaps the greatest obstacle to a successful democracy in Haiti is the violation of human rights. Since Haiti's independence from the French in 1804, the nation has suffered from oppressive governments controlled by a small group of national elites which have consistently violated human rights (Weinstein 2). Death, disappearance, imprisonment, and torture of thousands are endemic problems that Haitians have dealt with on their path to democracy. Human rights issues are especially relevant in Haiti's transition from dictatorship to democracy. [...]
[...] Without input from the rural masses Haiti will remain a tool of the urban elites in which political certainty can only be an unattainable dream. Also linked to political and economic problems within Haiti are extensive deforestation and a susceptibility to natural disasters (“Haiti Country Assistance Evaluation Report”). When Haiti was a French colony, the island's resources were exploited, and deforestation was commonly used to provide agricultural land for plantations and to provide fuel to cook sugarcane (Catanese 19). Today, deforestation remains most dominant and exigent form of land degradation in Haiti” as it increases soil erosion and decreases land productivity (Catanese 18, 29). [...]
[...] The extent of political exclusion was so pervasive that many peasants before the Duvalier dictatorship were unable to name the president. The rural masses' relation to the government was mostly through tax collectors and through section chiefs, who were members of the army that acted as representatives of the three branches of government in the countryside. Many rural areas today still suffer from these conditions. (Stotzky 20) In addition, Haiti has a long history of political corruption and military violence. Ceaseless coups, assassinations, human rights violations, and hostilities with the Dominican Republic have also undermined democratic attempts. [...]
[...] Aristide's election was the first truly democratic election in two hundred years of Haitian history. He received two thirds of the vote and voter turnout was at 75 percent- roughly 2.7 million votes. Such a high voter turnout, despite the difficulty of distributing election materials to rural Haiti and the high illiteracy rate of Haitians, is quite notable. Nevertheless, with help from the Organization of American States and the United Nations the elections were declared legitimate and without voter intimidation. [...]
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