Aristide’s challenge to neoliberalism

IN RESPONSE to "The forgotten occupation": Another great article by Emmanuel Santos, but I must take exception to one point.

I remember in 1994 when I questioned Aristide about the terms of the deal Leslie Voltaire signed for his return to Haiti that same year. I was critical of the apparent neoliberal concessions being made. (For context, it should be noted that the Haitian military was waging a bloody repressive campaign against Lavalas at the time.) His answer was telling, "Our first priority is to stop the killing, but once Lavalas has breathing space...that's another question."

Unless you recall what was happening on the ground in Haiti at that time, it's easy to make superficial critiques of that decision. In the end, Aristide would refuse most of the terms of the agreement, including the privatization of the most important state-owned industries, especially Electricite d'Haiti and TELECO.

He went even further to break away from the neoliberal model by taking profits from those two companies and investing them in a universal literacy project modeled after the successful Cuban campaigns in Nicaragua. In addition, those profits funded what were called the Alfa-Restos or Literacy Restaurants that served millions of hot meals and vitamins, creating a safety net for the poorest of the poor in Haiti.

This was the system in place when he was ousted in February 2004. I know this because I was living in Haiti at the time and took great pains to document it.

The Haitian people, who have never forgotten their country, are currently suffering under occupation--remember this as well. It is one of the reasons that Lavalas, despite the attempts of the "international community" to destroy it through violence and other tactics, remains the strongest and most viable movement representing the poor majority in Haiti today.
Kevin Pina, founding editor, Haiti Information Project