Maxine Waters "Perspectives on a Changing Haiti" April 15, 2004

photo courtesy of and © Tino Soriano

On April 15, CLAS presented a discussion on the current situation in Haiti with Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Congresswoman Waters has represented California’s 35th District, which includes a large part of South Central Los Angeles and the Westchester community, for seven terms. Formerly the Chair of the 39-member Congressional Black Caucus (1997-98), Rep. Waters was recently named Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Rep. Waters was a key figure in Congressional efforts to restore Haiti’s democratically-elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power in 1991. In early March, she testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the role of the U.S. government in the overthrow of President Aristide.

-Congresswoman Waters' official website

Congresswoman Maxine Waters speaks to a capacity crowd about the situation in Haiti.

Perspectives on Haiti
Yahaira Castro

Almost everything we’ve been told about Haiti is a lie. That’s the truth, according to Congresswoman Maxine Waters who spoke to a packed audience in the Women’s Faculty Club. The congresswoman from California’s 35th District painted an insider’s perspective of the events that shook Haiti.

“President Aristide is a good man,” said Waters. Since Aristide was flown out of Haiti and a new leader took control of the impoverished nation of eight million, Water’s said the international media has bought the stories oppositional forces have spun about the twice deposed leader. Although journalists published stories accusing Aristide of corruption, she hasn’t seen evidence proving he is corrupt.

“There isn’t that much in Haiti to steal,” she said.

Waters’ recent involvement began with a phone call last December. She was on vacation in the Bahamas when a friend working with then President Aristide called to ask her why neither she nor any of the members of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus were attending the January bicentennial celebration. Her friend informed her there were rumors that the caucus, in the past friendly to Haiti, had abandoned President Aristide. Congresswoman Waters then did the sensible thing; she cut her vacation short and flew to Haiti.

It wasn’t the first time the congresswoman had come to the president’s aid. Waters was a key figure in Congressional efforts to restore President Aristide to power in 1994. Again in the late 90s, she lobbied the International Development Bank (IDB) to release $146 million in loans to Haiti that had been allocated to but never disbursed. The IDB claimed that Haiti did not meet the conditions necessary for receiving the money. Among the problems cited was a lack of appropriate personnel in certain sectors of society. Waters was working on a plan to recruit Haitian-American professionals to return home to fill some of the positions so that the money could be released.

But on this recent trip, Waters realized the political situation was about to break once more.

The international media “simply have not been writing the real facts about what was happening,” she said. “As a matter of fact, it was disseminating misinformation.” One example was a New York Time’s article on the number of people who celebrated the bicentennial. The renowned newspaper asserted that 10,000 people participated, while a more accurate account of 400,000 appeared in the Miami Herald. She said the numbers are important because a majority of the country’s people weren’t involved in the coup. In fact, the opposition’s rallies, which were portrayed in the media as a “huge outpouring of people,” numbered only about 5,000.

Misinformation contributed to Aristide’s political demise. Calling themselves the Group of 184, the oppositional force is led by factory owner, André “Andy” Apaid, Jr., an American citizen with ties to the repressive Duvalier regime. The group accused Aristide of corruption and sought his removal. Representative Waters met with them and concluded that Apaid chafed under Aristide’s mandates which included paying taxes and raising the minimum wage. However, reporters neglected this part of the story. A full and accurate account could have galvanized the international community to come to Aristide’s aid.

In the months that followed, she watched as President Aristide lost control. At first, Waters said the president issued the group permits to march, even as they accused him of taking away their democratic rights. Soon, the group’s use of violent tactics attracted enough attention that domestic and international intermediaries tried to negotiate with the two sides. However, the opposition rejected every proposal. Only the president’s ouster would be accepted.
From home, the congresswoman tried getting the Bush administration to help the burdened Aristide. She, along with 19 members of the Black Caucus, met with Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. They were told, however, that the U.S. was looking for a political resolution to the crisis; they would not intervene militarily.

Waters recounted a comment Rice made saying Aristide had lost his right to govern. “He’s a democratically elected president,” said Waters to the audience in dismay.

Shortly after that, the phone rang once more.

“Well, they did it,” said Mildred Aristide, the president’s wife, in a phone call. The coup d'etat is complete…. We are in the Central African Republic.” She told Waters that they were being well treated but weren’t allowed to leave the palace. In talks with Colin Powell, Waters said the Secretary of State disputed the couple’s claims. According to him, the U.S. didn’t request the African country to hold the couple there against their will, and as such, they were free to leave. Nearly two weeks later the Aristides, who lacked both money and transportation, were still stranded in Africa.

“Let’s go get ’em,” Waters told Aristide’s lawyer.

Forty hours later, the congresswoman flew into the Central African Republic (CAR) with an envoy which included Sharon Hay-Webster, a parliamentarian from Jamaica, the country that was persuaded to take the deposed president. They arrived late in the evening and were met by gunmen who took them to the presidential palace.

Once there, they were told they couldn’t speak to the president of CAR because he was busy preparing for the one year anniversary celebration of the coup d’etat that established his government. They’d have to stay overnight. With some cajoling, and finally a threat reminding her hosts that her stay would be seen in the U.S. Congress as a forced one, she and the Aristides were allowed to leave for Jamaica.

Now, the Aristides must wait. Waters hopes that since the South African elections have passed, that government can be persuaded to accept the exiled president. According to her, the Bush administration is angry that Aristide is currently so close to Haiti, where he may be able to influence the country’s politics.

And while CARICOM, the union of Caribbean nations, has proclaimed support for the beleaguered nation, she said the United States’ influence on these developing countries may be the reason none of them took a strong stand against U.S. actions in Haiti. She pointed out that Jamaica took a risk in offering refuge to Aristide, given that country’s astronomical foreign debt. She also said that Aristide has received death threats, and she fears for his life if he stays in the Western Hemisphere.

“I don’t know where this is all going to go,” she concluded about Haiti’s future.
Gang leaders have infiltrated the government and are wreaking havoc and misery outside the capital. In Cap-Haitien, they’re holding trials and pursuing members of Aristide’s political party, Lavalas. The country’s new leader, Gerard Latortue, has alienated CARICOM. The U.S. promised $9 million in aid, but according to Waters, that’s far less than Haitians living on the island need. For example, about 60 to 70 percent of the population does not have potable water. Whatever happens politically, Waters said, the Haitian people desperately need an investment in a water system.

“Haiti is the world’s stepchild,” she said. “It dared to gain its freedom and even ask for reparations.”

Waters concluded the evening with several challenges. To rectify the wrongs other journalists made in reporting about the country’s political demise, she said a team of reporters should commit to spending extended periods in Haiti and coming back with accurate stories. This political coup also raises questions about the international and domestic connections of the business elite, which seems happy to maintain the status quo.

The congresswoman also called for an investigation into the Bush administration’s actions. About 20,000 AK-47s made it to Haiti and into rebel hands despite a U.S. ban on weapons into the country. It’s likely the guns came through the Dominican Republic, and some say, are connected to the U.S. However, an investigation is unlikely with a Republican-controlled house. A tribunal court, which oppositional forces say they want for Aristide, may be the answer as long as it is open and not corruptible. It could clear Aristide’s name from unjust accusations.

Finally, she challenged audience members to act.

“(I) learned coming out of the Haiti experience that we don’t recognize the awesome power of this country,” she said. “As citizens we need to take control of this government.”

Maxine Waters represents California’s 35th District in the United States Congress and is the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Yahaira Castro is a student in the Graduate School of Journalism.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters speaks at the Women's Faculty Club on April 15.