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History Of Haiti

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The Republic of Haiti has a unique and vibrant culture. It was once hailed as the "Pearl of the Antilles" for being the wealthiest colony in the world. This small Latin American island tells a story of slaves enduring resistance to the some of the most dominant forces abroad. In 1804, Haiti became the first free black republic and the second post-colonial country in the Americas. However, the days of being the wealthiest colony have since passed. Haiti is now considered to be the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. The proud history of this country is overshadowed by alarming rates of poverty, violence, and inequality. This island nation’s government has been plagued with numerous military staged coups and misfortunes. I …show more content…

The events that transpired in the late 1980s were a catalyst for the international community to intervene.
As an effort to promote democracy, the United States began influencing elections in Haiti (Torgman). In 1990 with pressure mounting from the International community, Haiti held a moderately fair presidential election. With over fifty percent of registered voter participation; of that sixty-seven percent of the voters supported the new Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This was the first democratic election ever held in Haiti since it achieved independence (Torgman). Therefore, the Haiti election was a remarkable step towards democracy.
Nonetheless, the president's popularity faded soon after the election. Aristide lost support from bureaucrats and the military. The loss of control of the government and the lack of support resulted in a coup in 1991. The successful mutiny hurled the newly formed democratic nation back into familiar political turmoil just after nine months of Aristide being elected president. In response to the coup, the Organization of American States (OAS) suspended economic relations, while the United States responded by enforcing trade embargoes and freezing Haiti's accounts (Torgman). The OAS urged all neighboring states to isolate Haiti by instituting hemisphere-wide restrictions. The plan was implemented to restore democracy in Haiti but resulted in harmful

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