Former President Bill Clinton is co-chair of the Haiti Rebuilding Authority, a committee overseeing at least $3.8 billion in post-quake aid to Haiti.
Bill Clinton Tapped to Co-chair Authority Overseeing Post-Quake Reconstruction in Haiti by Jonathan M. Katz for AP, March 31, 2010
Bill Clinton Tapped to Co-chair Authority Overseeing Post-Quake Reconstruction in Haiti by Jonathan M. Katz for AP, March 31, 2010
The common buzzard
(Buteo buteo)
(Buteo buteo)
"Conflicting pretensions, narratives and loud mama and papa Clinton declarations aside, the stark reality is that Haiti's impoverishment feeds the do-gooder brand of the US and is used to enrich the NGO industry, private para-military firms, not to mention the resource extraction cartels. US/Euro humanitarian aid masks the feudal pillage and plunder currently going on behind the UN/US military occupation."
The Plantation Called Haiti: Feudal Pillage Masking as Aid by Ezili Danto, Ezili Danto for opensalon.com, April 5, 2010
The Plantation Called Haiti: Feudal Pillage Masking as Aid by Ezili Danto, Ezili Danto for opensalon.com, April 5, 2010
Oil, Gold, Iridium and other goodies.
"Another reason for the ouster of President Aristide and current UN occupation"
Oil in Haiti - Economic Reasons for the UN/US Occupation by Ezili Danto for Open Salon, October 13, 2009
Shocking Declarations Made by Prime Minister Bellerive About the Presence of Gold, Oil and Iridium in Haiti, by mbetv.com, March 6, 2010
"After the colossal disaster of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in which estimates of over 200,000 Haitians lost their lives, the government of Haiti, instead of setting forth plans to give some modicum of dignity to its people now living in tent cities throughout the land, has decided to act like the restaveks (indentured servants) to Western Corporatists and Haiti's traditional parasitic "commercial elite" by facilitating wholesale sell offs of Haitian assets and natural resources such as oil, gold, and farmland....The speculations about the natural resources ...need to cease. The current Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean Max Bellerive has already admitted publicly that not only is there oil, gold, most likely iridium in Haiti, but that contracts with certain "undisclosed entities" have already been made for exploitation of such natural resources."
Haiti for Sale by Pascal Robert for The Huffington Post, May 4, 2010
Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission
co-chaired by former President Bill Clinton
"On April 16 [2010], the New York Times carried Reuters and AP reports stating Haiti's parliament approved the participation of foreign investors to rebuild the country, meaning, of course, seize, occupy, own, control, and colonize it for profit, using Haitians as exploited serfs.
AP stated: "Haiti's soon-to-expire parliament has approved the creation of (an Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission - IHRC) co-chaired by former US President Bill Clinton to oversee billions in post-quake reconstruction aid, the Ministry of Communications said Friday (April 16)."
"...Reuters explained that a March 31 "donors" conference established the IHRC to oversee their investment, Preval to have nominal veto power over commission decisions. In fact, he'll rubber stamp what Washington and corporate interests dictate, supervised by the World Bank, a longstanding imperial tool.
Preval asked, "Do we lose our sovereignty because of the creation of this commission? I think the answer is no."
Except for the Aristide years (1991, 1994-1996, and 2001-2004), early in Preval's first term (1996-2001), and its brief 1804 liberation, Haiti lacked sovereignty throughout its history. Post-quake, it has even less, its people more than ever in jeopardy with imperial plans to gravely harm them, perhaps exterminate hundreds of thousands through neglect or other means."
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
AP stated: "Haiti's soon-to-expire parliament has approved the creation of (an Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission - IHRC) co-chaired by former US President Bill Clinton to oversee billions in post-quake reconstruction aid, the Ministry of Communications said Friday (April 16)."
"...Reuters explained that a March 31 "donors" conference established the IHRC to oversee their investment, Preval to have nominal veto power over commission decisions. In fact, he'll rubber stamp what Washington and corporate interests dictate, supervised by the World Bank, a longstanding imperial tool.
Preval asked, "Do we lose our sovereignty because of the creation of this commission? I think the answer is no."
Except for the Aristide years (1991, 1994-1996, and 2001-2004), early in Preval's first term (1996-2001), and its brief 1804 liberation, Haiti lacked sovereignty throughout its history. Post-quake, it has even less, its people more than ever in jeopardy with imperial plans to gravely harm them, perhaps exterminate hundreds of thousands through neglect or other means."
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
March 31 Donors' Conference
Obama Hosts Haitian President Preval for Talks by AP, March 10, 2010
"On March 10, prior to the March 31 'donors' conference, Preval was received at the White House, held a joint pree conference, ignored the plight of his people, yet Obama thanked him for "showing great courage and determination," when, in fact, he's been largely invisible, and to date has done nothing to engage Haitians directly, including in their makeshift camps the way Jean-Bertrand Aristide would have done straightaway, with a hands-on approach for long hours daily...."
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
"The web site www.haiticonference.org announced the “International Donors’ Conference Toward a New Future for Haiti” explaining: ”The United States and the United Nations (UN), in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, and with the support Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain co-hosted” the conference and received “over US $5 billion pledged for Haiti’s recovery” — around $1 billion promised by Washington, less than the EU’s $1.7 billion and Venezuela’s $1.3 billion. In total, however, it’s a fraction of what Haitians need, and “redevelopment” won’t reach them as it’s earmarked for profit-making ventures, not poverty-stricken neighborhoods and essential infrastructure to support them."
"A recovery and development roadmap outlined short and longer-term priorities, with participating countries lining up for their take, the lion’s share, of course, for America, then France and Canada, and what they have in mind is more sweatshops, gentrified elite areas, expanded tourism, free trade zones, and the grand prize — exploiting Haiti’s resources, including what’s believed to be abundant untapped oil reserves, what US oil giants made plans for decades ago. They intend deep water ports, refineries, and other facilities to fully exploit the treasure, not mentioned in major media reports, now largely silent on Haiti and its long-suffering people."
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
CEO of Global Renewable Energy, Fred E. Price discusses the plan for taking over La Gonave, Haiti: A small island to the west of Haiti's mainland under its domain. He discusses building refineries on the island with "industrial plantations" upon which Haitians can work and have a "better quality of life."
More sweatshops for Haiti
"...The Wholesale sell off Haiti's assets and resources does not stop [...]. Even the torturous sweatshop labor that the Haitians have been working under, facilitated by the passage of that "Manna from the U.S. Congress" called the Haiti Hope Act, which liberalized trade restrictions on garments manufactured in Haiti to further enrich the Country's parasitic "commercial elite" while ensuring Haitians a mere $4 a day salary-which couldn't even allow most employees to buy lunch without taking out loans, will be ramped up thanks to another "act of kindness" by our own U.S. Congress [re: Bipartian deal to help Haiti Rebuild -April 28, 2010]"
Haiti for Sale by Pascal Robert for The Huffington Post, May 4, 2010
Haiti for Sale by Pascal Robert for The Huffington Post, May 4, 2010
If the minimum wage hasn't changed in 25 years it certainly hasn't changed
much since 2009 when this video was made. President Rene Preval vetoed a
bill to raise the minimum wage to $5/day.
How a Haitian Garment Worker "lives" on $2 a day, October 21, 2009
much since 2009 when this video was made. President Rene Preval vetoed a
bill to raise the minimum wage to $5/day.
How a Haitian Garment Worker "lives" on $2 a day, October 21, 2009
"On April 28, Reuters headlined, “Lawmakers agree on trade bill to help Haiti,” saying: “Top US lawmakers said on Wednesday they have reached a bipartisan deal to help Haiti rebuild its earthquake-shattered economy by opening the US market to more Haitian clothing and textiles” — to be produced in rebuilt sweatshops, where workers are treated like slaves, not human beings. They pay starvation wages, no benefits, and no overtime for up to 70 hours a week in harsh or hazardous environments. They’re inhumane workplaces, dimly lit in stifling heat, with no way to organize for redress or avoid being fired if complain."
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
Haiti for Sale by Pascal Robert for The Huffington Post, May 4, 2010
(1) Sweatshops Won't Save Haiti by Tope Folarin, March 15, 2010
(2) Profiting off Haiti's Disaster? by AlJazeera, March 22, 2010
1996 Documentary from the National Labor Committee
about sweatshop conditions in Haiti
about sweatshop conditions in Haiti
Yet according to Congressman Charles Rangel (representing his black Harlem constituents): ”The Haitian garment sector, Haiti’s flagship industry, was making important strides prior to the earthquake and helping the country’s economy establish a stable foothold. With this legislation, we will help to get the garment sector and Haiti’s economy back on that critical trajectory,” mindless of how it affects exploited workers.
Preparing Haiti for Exploitation and Plunder by Stephan Lendman for Dissident Voice, May 1, 2010
Fault Lines - Haiti: The Politics of Rebuilding by AlJazeera, February 16, 2010
Includes interviews with sweatshop owners and workers at approx. 1 min 50 sec.
Includes interviews with sweatshop owners and workers at approx. 1 min 50 sec.
