the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Oct 30, 2017
The following article is translated from Combat Ouvrier (Workers Combat) of October 21, the newspaper of the revolutionary workers’ group of that name active in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
After the troops of the “United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti” or MINUSTAH occupied the country for 13 years, now there is a name change to the “United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti,” or MINUJUSTH.
Under MINUSTAH, the “blue helmets” were used by successive governments to contain the anger of struggling workers and attack them when they protested.
During the occupation, where the soldiers stayed there was a rise in prostitution spurred by misery and in sex crimes committed by the soldiers against Haitian women and children.
And in October 2010, a cholera epidemic broke out, starting from the contingent of peacekeeping troops sent from Nepal. Since then, more than 10,000 Haitians have died of this disease. The eradication of cholera cannot be imagined as long as the majority of the population has to live in sub-human, unhygienic conditions.
The U.N. refused to accept any legal responsibility and did not apologize until six years after the outbreak began.
When MINUJUSTH was set up on October 15, the U.N. representative presented its program: “to support the professionalization of the Haitian police and to strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights.” And also “to consolidate the political stability achieved during the last years in order to give to open and give a voice to a democratic, stable and prosperous future for all Haitians.”
With justice in the service of those who have money, weapons and power, the professionalization of the police will enable only the wealthy to enjoy a prosperous and democratic future!
This will not be the case for the 50 people lost at sea by boat on the same day, October 15. The seven shipwrecked survivors said they were trying to reach the Turks Islands north of Haiti to escape miserable poverty.
Poor people and workers in particular know from experience that international missions are not carried out in their favor. Nothing is given to the poor and workers by governments. What they managed to get was what they won through their struggles.