What is really behind the crisis in Haiti?

One cannot understand what is going on in Haiti without considering its long history of violent foreign intervention.

In the middle of the night on July 7, a group of armed men stormed the private residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and shot him dead. The brazen murder shocked Haitian society. Although it is still unclear who hired the killers and why, there are already clues that point to Colombian mercenaries, a US-based security company and various opponents of Moïse in the country. The president was unpopular and amid a climate of uncertainty, he had sought to extend his term in office. Over the next few weeks, Haitians will have to grapple with the political implications of the assassination, the contestation of power, and the increased repression against protests. Meanwhile, international media will write off these events as yet another “chaotic” episode in Haiti’s “turbulent” politics, while the international community – namely the United States and the United Nations – will once again seek to “stabilise” the country. The problem with this narrative is that it covers up the history of violent foreign interventions, of Haitians being constantly made to pay for their liberty, and does much more damage than good.