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
Jun 12, 2023
On top of increasing degradation that has wracked the island nation of Haiti in the past year, two new natural disasters hit it, one right after the other.
On Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, intense thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall, flooding more than 13,000 homes, killing 42 and displacing thousands. Most of the flooding damage hit the areas west of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Then on Tuesday, June 6, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit that very same western area, killing 4 and injuring 36.
These disasters follow on long months in which the government of Haiti collapsed, replaced by an “acting prime minister,” Ariel Henry, who is ruling in name only. Gangs have run rampant, ruling the streets, extorting the population and killing anyone who refused.
That is, until the population, in certain areas, began organizing themselves and fighting back. Some organized self-defense squads. Some took it further and began killing gang members who had been terrorizing their neighborhoods for months. The gangs fell back into the shadows in those areas. In addition, angry demonstrations of workers took place in Port-au-Prince’s industrial zone for three days in early May.
Hopefully the population can mobilize to collectively address the needs resulting from these recent disasters. Beyond that, there is still much wealth within Haiti, stolen from the working-class population by the corporations, the State and the gangs, that can be taken back and put in the service of those workers who made it and need it!