Statement on Canada-Haiti Relations
Statement of Solidarity with Haitians
November 17, 2019 - Toronto.
The Caribbean Solidarity Network stands with the people of Haiti in their struggle against a corrupt, oppressive government, which is supported by Canada and other members of the CORE group (composed of Special Representatives from the United Nations Secretary-General, the Organization of American States and the Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the European Union, the United States of America).
Canada’s support of Jovenel Moise (who was put in power with 55 percent of the votes after a 2016 “election” in which just 18 percent of Haitians participated) reveals the hypocritical, neocolonial position that the Trudeau government has taken across Latin America and the Caribbean. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland have been quick to denounce and sanction the leaders of Bolivia and Venezuela. Yet, they remain steadfast in their support of the deeply flawed electoral process which brought Moise to power as his political interests as his political interests match theirs keeping Haiti “open for business” for international investors and a handful of Haiti’s economic elite who continue to pillage and exploit the country.
Canada’s history of meddling in Haiti is long and tragic. A critical point came in 2004, when the Canadian military participated in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Jean Bertrand Aristide. Since then, Canada has supported a 13-year military occupation by the United Nations (both politically and financially), which has been criticised by scholars and human rights activists as not only being unnecessary, but illegitimate under the well established principles of international law. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti has left behind a brutal record of human rights abuses against the Haitian people, consisting of, but not limited to, widespread extrajudicial murders of political activists, an epidemic of sexual assault and rape, oppressing peaceful political dissent, overseeing deeply flawed elections in 2010 and 2016, as well as introducing cholera in the country.
The silence surrounding the occupation of Justin Trudeau’s campaign office by members of Solidarité Québec-Haiti #Petrochallenge 2019 on September 28th reveals the complicity of not only the Canadian media, but also all of Canada’s major political parties in undermining Haiti’s self- determination. For instance, when the Haitian Police Force were directly implicated in the execution of 71 citizens in the community of La Saline on November 13, 2018 (including babies and the elderly), next to nothing appeared in the Canadian media – and political leaders across the spectrum said nothing. Even the NDP has not stood up for Haiti in parliament, failing to raise concerns about Canada’s support for a government which has killed hundreds of protestors since the uprising began.
Less than three months later, over the course of 10 days from February 7 to 17, Haitian human rights organizations reported that at least 40 protestors who were calling for an end to governmental corruption and the high cost of living were killed. Another 82 were injured by the Haitian National Police (with 17 executed by gunshots to the head). Again, outside of a few scattered reports of the protests by mostly independent media, coverage was nearly non-existent and international condemnation was nowhere to be heard.
The Caribbean Solidarity Network stands with the people of Haiti, Solidarité Québec-Haïti #Petrochallenge 2019 and Haiti solidarity organizations around the world who are calling for the Canadian government to withdraw its support for the undemocratic, illegitimate and repressive government of Jovenel Moise. We denounce the human rights abuses committed by his administration and state-sponsored institutions. We support the rights of the Haitian people to exercise their right to self- determination and to participate in elections that are free and fair in contrast to the last two illegitimate rounds, organized and supported by Canada and the CORE group. We also call for the Canadian government to follow its responsibilities under international law and process Haitian refugee claimants as legitimate refugees, not irregular or economic migrants.
Unity in Struggle,
The Caribbean Solidarity Network.
