Jean Bertrand Aristide: Is it Politics as Usual in Haiti?

The country of Haiti has had a vicious, tumultuous and revolutionary political history that has included a slave led revolution for freedom and subsequently two hundred years of political instability that can be measured by the thirty-two regime changes by political coup d’etat. In the 1980’s a novel form of government was introduced to Haiti through the influential support of its northern neighbor the United States, as well as the United Nations. The new democracy that was created through a new constitution in the 1980′ s would in turn lead to the presidential election of 1990 and subsequently the populace would elect a new leader, Jean- Bertrand Aristide. He was elected on a party platform of revolutionizing the political, social, and economic composition of Haiti. Aristide was elected with the support of the innumerable peasants and impoverished workers of Haiti to institute these changes for them. Unfortunately for Aristide and the impoverished peoples of Haiti, he was unable to complete these changes because of his deficiencies in political diplomacy, his lack of sensitivity to the fundamental socio-economic problems, and due to influential factors outside of his control. Aristide’ s legacy ought to be one of prestige and dignity as the first freely elected Haitian president. Instead he will be seen as a grandiose visionary who dreamed beyond the clouds, instead of keeping his feet, eyes and ears on the ground.