Haiti

After supporting Préval as the indispensable President of Haiti, the United States and France grew increasingly antagonistic to him and were bent on preventing the election of his handpicked successor, Jude Célestin. In fact, Seitenfus reveals that this antagonism reached the point where the Core Group led by Mulet attempted to remove Préval from office and send him into exile. Had it not been for the intervention of Seitenfus himself, Préval might well have had in Mulet’s words “to leave the presidency and abandon Haiti.” While the Core group failed to carry this gross and illegal coup, it nonetheless succeeded in creating a process that changed the results of the first round of the presidential elections and opened the way to Martelly’s election in the second round. Seitenfus’ explosive revelations are of great significance and deserve to be known by a wide audience. In addition, Seitenfus expands the thoughts he initially developed in an interview published in December 2010 that was highly critical of the international intervention in Haiti and that ultimately led to his firing by the OAS. Haiti: International Dilemmas and Failures shows convincingly that the intervention has been a failure. It has not contributed to any significant economic development, it has failed to stabilize the democratic transition, and it has a deeply flawed record on establishing the institutions required for a secure environment. He also makes the case that the agreements signed between the Haitian government and the UN allowing MINUSTAH to take control of the country were illegal; they lacked the endorsement of Haiti’s president, and were thus unconstitutional.
Seitenfus is not only critical of the foreign community; he has harsh words for the behavior of Haiti’s venal political class and predatory elite. While he has good things to say about Préval, he is right in condemning his anarchic disdain for institutions and his slow and hesitant reaction to the earthquake. Préval was no dictator and probably did more for national reconciliation than any other Haitian leader, but he lacked a sense of purpose to guide the country in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
In conclusion, Seitenfus has written a provocative and most persuasive and detailed account of the travail of the foreign occupation of Haiti. It will attract a wide audience; “Haitianists,” academics and professionals studying international relations, humanitarian interventions, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the UN will be interested in Haiti: International Dilemmas and Failures.
Seitenfus has thus written an important and critical book that will become a must read for anyone interested in Haiti, development, and humanitarian interventions. He shows persuasively that the type of foreign assistance that Haiti has been receiving does more harm than good. I am convinced that Haiti: International Dilemmas and Failures will be a major reference in Haitianist circles for a long time to come; it is an eloquent challenge to the prevailing system of foreign assistance and imperial interference. It is the work of a brave man and real humanist.

July 21 2020
Robert Fatton Jr.
Julia Cooper Professor of Politics
Department of Politics
University of Virginia