Haiti weeps

Haiti weeps and the world observes. Haiti weeps not only for those who have been assassinated, killed during the earthquake, and killed by disease or at the hands of imperialists past and present. She also weeps for the dignity and reverence she is owed. She weeps for the balance of power, the fair distribution of wealth and for her children to come together to defeat their enemies. What lessons can we learn from Haiti’s struggles?

Haiti was the first to break the chains of slavery but was made to pay her oppressors in a world that continues to be largely opposed to balancing the scales of truth, fairness, reciprocity and righteousness. You enslave a man, the man defeats you and gains his freedom and because of your false sense of superiority and your determination to live off the blood, sweat and tears of others, the man must pay you. And over the years you fuel corruption in the name of aid and install chosen ones in the name of democracy. With your coups and laws, you continue to thwart the will of the people and to diminish their power. The descendants of imperialists and their helpers continue to punish Haiti. The vibrations of those once enslaved defeating their enslavers and establishing the first Black Republic still unsettles them.

The enemies of Haiti are not only strange faces, but ones that also resemble her. Some grieve with her while others demonize a people who despite all adversities are standing more than eleven million strong. The seeds of destruction have been planted, but the people continue to rise like roses among thorns.

Still, we are grieving for the postponed dreams of her children who long should have elevated beyond emancipating themselves from physical forms of slavery. We weep for where those with the power and influence to alter the perception of the masses have said that in Haiti the devil plays. The devil plays everywhere on Earth. Have you looked around lately and assessed what is happening globally? Have you made note of the wars, diseases and wickedness in high places?

The devil has been clothed as slavery, imperialism, racial discrimination, apartheid, economic inequality, poverty, biological warfare and other social ills.

The world powers that have controlled the narrative and, therefore, the thinking of the multitudes, do not care about the poor. They do not care about equality. They do not care about the endless trails of blood the people have bled along with their oceans of tears and sorrow. They will use men willing to sell their souls to carry out their agendas. They will steal the resources from the lands. They will take most of the resources and leave the people to scramble and fight for the little left while pointing the fingers at the people and blaming them solely for their condition. Guyana we must learn from history, especially when it comes to our black gold. Have you seen the signs of the oil curse? Have you heard your neighbours asking, have you benefitted yet? Have you seen the expressions on their faces when the prices keep rising and they cannot or can barely afford to live?

A president lies dead in the sorrows of a CARICOM nation. Dead after allegations of electoral fraud when he became president. Dead after accusations of corruption. Dead after the people protested and called for his removal. Dead after the shadow of dictatorship darkened Haiti’s skies. Must it always come to this? Has the shedding of blood helped or hurt mankind?

A CARICOM nation that has faced discrimination and degradation from those who are supposed to be its sisters and brothers seems to be standing on its own.

CARICOM’S vision is “A Caribbean Community that is integrated, inclusive and resilient; driven by knowledge, excellence, innovation and productivity; a community where every citizen is secure and has the opportunity to realise his or her potential with guaranteed human rights and social justice; and contributes to, and shares in, its economic, social and cultural prosperity; a ccommunity which is a unified and competitive force in the global arena.”

The lies we tell in fancy fonts. After forty-eight years, has CARICOM realized the vision?

On CARICOM Day this week I struggled to find what exactly we were celebrating in 2021. The silence of CARICOM when Haitians face discrimination in many CARICOM territories speaks volumes. They seem to sign off on actions such as visa restrictions. Like visa restrictions said to help with human trafficking amongst Haitians. Is this really the reason? Are other nations coming to Guyana involved in human trafficking? Will we also put visa restrictions on them?

Based on the Anti-Haiti actions of CARICOM territories, is Haiti even still considered a part of CARICOM?

I would call on CARICOM to stand stronger with Haiti instead of being mostly silent and appearing to support the discrimination and Anti-Blackness, but water off a duck’s back is just that.

The people are tired of the only actions being fancy statements or flying flags half-mast when prominent figures are assassinated, or other tragedies occur. What are the plans to help the Haitians who will probably now be plunged into further chaos and despair? Let us see interventions in the best interests of the people if you really care. Let us see genuine helping hands working to restore Haiti’s dignity. Maybe I am asking too much for can we ever expect that those who have harmed the people and fueled the violence and the poverty to be repentant and honour Haiti? Can we ever expect that we will rise as one Caribbean and not allow the Western World to direct our affairs?

I wish the misleaders in the Caribbean region would be bold enough to state the true intentions based on their actions instead of trying to insult the intelligence of the people. Tell us the truth about your racism. You have revealed yourselves time and time again and we have seen that all skin-folk are not kinfolk. Tell us about your selfishness. Tell us about your elitism and how at the core you really do not care about the poor.

Haiti today, who tomorrow? Guyana today we may stand with the oppressors based on some of our actions but what happens when we are standing in the place of the oppressed? What happens when we are restricted? What happens when the poverty becomes worse? What happens when the underlying tensions erupt?

Haiti set the example for all of us to be free. Haiti is not our enemy. Haiti is not in chaos because of the African spirituality like some lost and chained like to repeat. It is 2021 and no one who can read, has access to libraries or can use the internet needs to be ignorant about the roots of the issues in Haiti. Educate yourselves and find out how you can help Haiti instead of condemning, criticizing and pretending that you are better human beings.

Haiti will rise and overcome.