The U.S. has tried to ‘fix’ Haiti before. How will
this time be different?
The United States has a long history of intervening in
Haiti. U.S. Marines occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934. Washington initially
supported the murderous and kleptocratic Duvalier dictatorship. U.S. forces
invaded in 1994 to restore ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and
returned in 2004 to restore order after Aristide fled to exile.
In 2011, the United States helped Michel Martelly win
the presidency. The United Nations last year accused him of using “gangs
[during his term] to expand his influence over neighborhoods to advance his
political agenda, contributing to a legacy of insecurity, the impacts of which
are still being felt today.”
This time, U.S. officials say, they’ve learned the
lessons of history. They’re not imposing a government on Haiti, they insist;
they’ve made a concerted effort to center Haitians in the talks.