US Aid Subverted Haiti's Sovereignty For A Long Time

But even before Aristide's election, the United States was funneling money to Haitian organizations that constituted a different, much smaller sector of civil society, one with a conservative political perspective. Trade unions, political parties, broadcast and print media, civic associations, and educational organizations were funded to promote a conservative form of electoral democracy. The “pro-democracy” funding has been channeled primarily through NED and the Agency for International Development (AID) and started following the collapse of the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier in February 1986. Although maintained at modest levels after Duvalier's flight, funding for these programs increased dramatically when elections were scheduled for December 1990, climbing again after Aristide's victory. Cut off briefly after the coup, they are being reactivated as this Backgrounder goes to press.

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Populism, Conservatism and Civil Society in Haiti

Note: Populism, Conservatism ...