Haitians struggle against misery

The battle of Vertières, a major victory in the Haitian people’s struggle against racism, colonialism and enslavement, has been commemorated for 208 years on Nov. 18 at the battle site overlooking the city of Cap-Haïtien, a large city in northern Haiti. Typically, the president of Haiti and elected officials, such as senators and deputies, attend the traditional pomp and ceremony of the commemoration.

This year, President Michel Martelly held it in Port-au-Prince in front of 500 people. Some of the right-wing Haitian press, like Le Matin, implied the change of venue was a slight to the northern political establishment of Haiti.

But the people of Cap-Haïtien are known for their feisty, confrontational approach to politics. And like most Haitians, they see Minustah — the U.N. force occupying Haiti and carriers of the cholera that has killed more than 7,000 Haitians and sickened more than 700,000 — as the force that protects the system that keeps them in misery. Minustah took over occupying Haiti from the U.S. and France in 2004.

In the midst of thousands of people assembled in Vertières, hundreds of protesters came with a big banner reading, “Down with Minustah!” They made their feeling known that this celebration should not take place while Haiti is occupied. In place of the normal patriotic decorations, they covered the walls of the square with slogans: “Minustah = cholera!” and “Bill Clinton + Interim Haiti Recovery Commission = occupation.” The IHRC controls the disbursement of aid to Haiti; Clinton is its chair. Some of the protesters came from a large, Caribbean-wide conference to build opposition to the U.N.’s occupation of Haiti. (Haïti-Liberté, Nov. 23)

The Movement for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity for all Haitians (Moleghaf — derived from its name in Creole) held a militant march of a few hundred from Fort National, a very poor, working-class community in Port-au-Prince, to the Ministry of Social Affairs. The marchers demanded an end to hunger, unemployment, misery, rotten housing and generally horrible living conditions — including no clean water, sanitation or school for children.

A few days later, they held a picket line at the ministry — one in a series of protests that began 10 months ago. In October, there were a number of arrests there.

These actions show a willingness of Haitian progressives to take on the state and the U.N.’s occupation, and raise issues of direct relevance to the masses of Haitians.