VooDoo Hasn't Helped Haiti and Neither Will Outside Reliance

"What they don't need to do, and what they shouldn't do is to take up the leadership of an international force to invade Haiti in order to resolve a security crisis."

'{Canada would] be viewed as just a subcontractor of the United States, in term of they will do the dirty job that the United States doesn't want to do."

"The way to do it is to provide logistics and munitions and armed assistance to the security forces [Haitian] on the ground."

Chalmers LaRose, lecturer, Universite du Quebec a Montreal

"Not that a larger intervention is off the agenda; I think they're still working on it. But in a sense, I think the Canadian and others' prudent line has prevailed for now."

"If things really go awry, if there's an explosion of violence, if the gangs retake Varreux ... if cholera cases explode, and hospitals are not resupplied with petrol, therefore, can't run their generators and so on ... that could put the direct intervention scenario back on the fast track."

"By extension, any new major security intervention, under the UN's umbrella or not, would [involve[ some of the same risks.
"Being seen as an occupation force by many Haitians and some foreign governments, and some critics even in Canada, and possibly doing a lot of damage on the ground."

University of Ottawa professor Stephen Baranyi

Demonstrators march demanding peace and security in the La Plaine neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, May 6, 2022. Escalating gang violence has prompted Haitians to organize protests to demand safer neighbourhoods. (Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press

Haiti is a mess. when has it not been in turmoil? It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, where orderly government and social life is as polarized from that of Haiti on the other half of the island as it's possible to get. In 2014 an earthquake off the coast caused a powerful tsunami that swept through Haiti, killing hundreds and leaving the country in partial ruin. International aid poured in. In the chaos criminal gangs thrived, preying on the population. 

UN peacekeepers from Brazil in Haiti’s southern peninsula in 2016 (Evan Dyer)

The United Nations sent in one of their peacekeeping missions where they remained from 2004 to 2017. It's debatable how helpful they might have been. There was widespread abuse of Haitians by members of the UN mission, sexual abuse was widespread. And to cap things off, the lack of awareness of adequate hygiene among the UN mission members led to the degradation of the sources of potable water, and a cholera epidemic arose.

In more recent years, the criminal gangs have expanded their territory and appear to operate in place of government in some parts of Port au Prince. More recently they closed down an energy terminal causing widespread shortages of fuel, food and potable water. When Haiti was under the dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier corruption was rife and the people lived in what was essentially a police state. The democracy that now prevails is a feeble one.

But that Haiti became the playground of wealthy Americans who would visit the island to enjoy its night life and the accessibility of contraband drugs. The dreaded Tonton Macoute kept order, ensuring wealthy Haitians were never confronted with the appearance of their poverty-stricken counterparts. The international community has responded to each of Haiti's disasters with generous funding, but nothing seems to draw the country away from corruption, mismanagement and rampant crime.

 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to Ottawa to convince Canada it should lead a UN multinational security force. Canada's ambassador to Haiti had other ideas, that Canada should "do things our way", and "look at Canada's interests in doing this, and do it with regional partners". The Varreux fuel terminal that had been seized by Haiti's powerful criminal gangs was reopened, relieving some of the interior domestic pressure on the country.

A woman braids a girl's hair at a school converted into a shelter after they were forced to leave their homes due to clashes between armed gangs in the Tabarre neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Odelyn Joseph/Associated Press)

 Its reopening placed the UN resolution for an international mission to Haiti became in a far less urgent light. "Not that a larger intervention is off the agenda. I think they're still working on it. But in a sense, I think the Canadian and others' prudent line has prevailed for now", said University of Ottawa professor Stephen Baranyi. It is "reasonable to think" the retaking of that "critical infrastructure and other things that have happened recently are lessening the pressure on Canada."

In October, Canada and the U.S. sent armoured cars to Haiti announcing sanctions on several Haitian politicians more recently. Haiti's National Police took control of some infrastructure, "partly attributable to Canada and US. supplies of armoured personnel carriers and discrete forms of tactical support, intelligence and other forms of basically security advice. Ottawa's caution about embarking on any larger intervention " is justified, noted Professor Baranyi.

 "The situation in Haiti is dire, the country is facing a security, humanitarian and political crisis. Canada is committed to supporting all efforts to quickly resolve these crises and will always advocate for solutions by and for Haitians." What is also obvious is that Haiti lurches from one crisis to another. Governments most recently in power in Haiti, points out Professor Baranyi "have contested legitimacy and [have] neither the capacity nor the willingness to actually address any of Haiti's major structural problems."

Intervening in Haiti's internal problems will not only risk a backlash from Haitians themselves, unwilling to be 'occupied' by any outside power, it would "be viewed as defending the government that is losing complete capacity to provide any kind of leadership on the ground", observed  Professor LaRose.

Police carry the coffin of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moïse at the start of the funeral at his family home in Cap-Haitien. (Matias Delacroix/The Associated Press)