Open letter to the presidents of Latin America and the Caribbean

Heads of State:

None of you would be sitting here today if it weren’t for the struggle of the Haitian people and government, which not long ago gave everything of itself to achieve our independence and freedom.

Surely you, gentlemen presidents, already know the story when Haitian head of state Alexander Petión delivered arms, ammunition, boats and patriotic soldiers on two occasions so that Bolívar, Morazán, San Martín and Artigas could consecrate American independence. The Haitian leader only requested in return that the abolition of slavery be decreed on the continent.

Bolívar assumed the commitment and left for the continent with soldiers selected by Petión himself. He was already triumphant, and before the meeting with San Martín he said:

“Venezuela and New Granada lost, the island of Haiti received me with hospitality: the magnanimous President Alexander Petión lent me his protection and under his auspices I formed an expedition of 300 men comparable in courage, patriotism and virtue to the companions of Leonidas. . ”.

Haiti suffers a serious famine crisis

Petión not only gave us material elements for the independence struggle, but also ethical and moral values. That’s how we succeed. And we constitute our little republics. We did not achieve the dream unit, but we did achieve relative independence.

The great powers try to forget that for this reason and no other, the small and rebellious island, precursor of the rights of man, was blocked, invaded and looted.
First Spain, then France, followed by England and until now the United States of America. Haiti was considered a bad example for the colonies and semi-colonies. The empires feared and fear that the flag of freedom, independence and national sovereignty would expand and reveal their immense hypocrisy.

The 18th and 19th centuries were those of genocide for Haiti, the 20th was a veritable festival of North American invasions and scandalous looting. The newspaper New York Times A few days ago he recapitulated the shameful military actions and bank looting to the detriment of the Haitian people and the 21st century will be that of final extermination… if you do not take, gentlemen presidents, the responsibility that corresponds to you as representatives of our peoples.

The North American president, Thomas Jefferson said convinced that “Haiti is a bad example”. Slave owners did not tolerate the existence of an independent country ruled by black men. The young racist North American empire watched with concern the emancipation of the Haitian slaves, now in power. After the setback of Spain and France, the United States came to “put order” and intervened militarily in the country since 1915.

Haiti is close to a social outbreak

Presidents: Haiti must be on the agenda of the CELAC summit as a central point. Haiti must be considered as one more province of the great Latin American Nation.

Not a historical repair. If an immediate and constant return of the looting to which it was subjected.

Our Latin American and Caribbean countries are accomplices by omission and absolutely responsible for the cloak of silence that hangs over Haiti. We are in time to see the rebirth of our dignity.

The unity that we proclaim of the Patria Grande, of the United States of the South, of the Confederation of Republics, of the single currency, of common citizenship… Start with Haiti.