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There’s policing, the uniformed cops who claim to protect and serve. And then there’s global policing, colonialism and imperialism. In Haiti, the U.S. is using one to achieve the other.
From 1915 to 1934, the U.S. sent marines into Haiti to “restore order.” They wanted to occupy Haiti partially as an upper hand over Germany and France. They selected pro-American, corrupt Haitian presidents. They used 40% of Haiti’s national income to pay themselves and France post-slavery reparations.
Then in 2010, U.N. peacekeepers sexually abused Haitian women and infected over 820,000 with cholera after a sewage leakage.
After all of that, plus recent earthquakes and hurricanes, the U.S. government brutalizes and deports Haitian immigrants seeking refuge from disasters created by outside intervention.
And this summer, the U.N. Security Council approved the U.S.’ plan to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers into Haiti to stop government-backed “gang warfare” - a result of political corruption they started.
Similar to U.S. police, Kenyan police are known for torture and violence. They underwent “counter-terrorism” training with the U.S., don’t have international experience, and don’t even speak French to communicate with the people they’re supposed to be restoring order to.
But when it comes to the Caribbean, Africa, and here, hasn’t the U.S. done enough? Since the 17th century, their order has been our death.
But with that death comes our diasporic resistance – for true sovereignty, development, and liberation.