Chávez in Haiti

Haiti is still under U.N. military occupation, with U.N. forces still occupying poor communities like Cité Soleil. Support for exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his Lavalas Party is still strong, but it is very hard to show it.

Demonstrations and protests are met with violence and murder, either from the U.N. forces or from the gangs, directed by the most viciously brutal elements of the Haitian bourgeoisie. These groups, with deep ties to the Tonton Macoutes created by the Duvaliers, were used to overthrow the Aristide government after being trained and armed by the U.S.

So when President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela came to Port-au-Prince March 13 to finish up his tour answering Bush’s Latin American visit, crowds of people lined the streets in enthusiastic joy, waving home-made Venezuelan flags and shouting: “Down with Bush! Long live Chávez! Long live the return of Aristide!”

Since Venezuela already has an oil deal with Haiti that saves Haiti $150 million a year, President René Préval had no choice about this demonstration. Haiti, Venezuela and Cuba took the occasion of Chavez’s visit to announce a tripartite agreement covering health, energy and oil.

Venezuela already has a program in Haiti where units of its army help repair Haiti’s infrastructure.

At the press conference after the agreement announcement, Chávez recalled the substantial aid Haiti gave to Simón Bolívar and José Martí. Préval said that President Fidel Castro of Cuba had participated in the discussions by phone from Havana.