Radio Mundo Real

“We will not accept becoming a new US military base in the Caribbean”, said Camille Chalmers, outraged by the attitude of the governments, especially the US, which have come to the “rescue” of Haiti with troops and guns.

After three weeks of the earthquake, filled with coverage of the projects that the main economic powers of the world are planning for the country located in Hispaniola island, the member of PAPDA and the international coordination of Jubilee South talked to Real World Radio and denounced how this “rescue” can even worsen the situation of his country.

Far from cancelling the foreign debt contracted during the de facto regime of Duvalier, the International Monetary Fund approved a new loan worth more than 100 million dollars, subject to adjustment measures.

Also, the US army prevented planes with humanitarian aid to land on Port-au-Prince during two days due to the operation to receive Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Chalmers said that when the independence of Haiti was declared after the revolution, the IMF granted a loan which aimed to keep the country in the shadow of underdevelopment and dependence, reducing the nation to a sugar plantation which served to sweeten rich countries.

“A mechanism of debt was used to reintegrate Haiti to the world economy and to counteract a revolutionary project”, said the Haitian activist.

The current debt follows the same political, illegitimate and outrageous mechanisms, and this is why several international organizations have demanded the governments to cancel it.

“After the crisis caused by the earthquake, the International Monetary Fund imposed a new loan worth 104 million dollars, to be paid from 2012 on,” said Chalmers.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which started in Haiti eight years ago, has proven to be a failure, both before and after the earthquake.

At the time of the earthquake, MINUSTAH officials “were paralyzed” and were seen on the streets “after the fourth day”, said the member of Jubilee South.

Under a Brazilian military command, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Guatemala are participating with military officers in Minustah.

All the goals set to the mission by the United Nations Security Council have failed, said Chalmers. Today, it is very clear that this is a “mission of military occupation that is attacking the sovereignty of Haiti and is imposing specific economic policies” and that is a direct military threat to the countries of the region which “do not accept neoliberalism”.

Finally, the Haitian activist talked about the different attitude adopted by some Latin American countries after the earthquake.

“It is important to highlight that Haiti has been receiving the solidarity offered by countries member of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). This is true cooperation, without conditions. After the earthquake, the first medical team to arrive was Cuban”, said Chalmers.

Photo: Larry Zou