Haiti’s cholera toll: An indictment of imperialism

[blindpig]

Haiti’s cholera toll: An indictment of imperialism

Like the massive death toll inflicted by the earthquake last January, the cholera outbreak in Haiti is not some natural disaster, but rather the product of desperate poverty created by centuries of imperialist oppression.

Haitian and international officials reported Sunday that the death toll from the outbreak of cholera had reached 337, with over 4,000 confirmed cases of the disease, mostly in the central and northern part of the Caribbean nation.

snip

Less than 2 percent of the $5.3 billion in aid pledged by world governments for 2010-2011 has been delivered. Washington has set the example by delivering not one penny of the $1.15 billion that it promised. The criminal failure to make good on these promises has left the Haitian population largely defenceless in the face of the cholera epidemic.

Some of the aid that has been forthcoming from the US has only deepened Haiti’s crisis. Washington has subsidized the export of cheap rice to the country, undercutting local farmers and threatening to bankrupt Haiti’s agricultural sector, upon which 66 percent of the population depends for its survival.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/nov2010/pers-n01.shtml

[jaxx]

1. I wonder why the socialists aren't in Haiti getting it all fixed.

No solutions?

[blindpig]

2. Socialists are doing what they can.

Cuban Aid to Haiti

Cuba has sent hundreds of doctors to Haiti over the years. These doctors, already in Haiti, were among the first responders to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Cuba also participates in joint aid projects with Venezuela.

Cuba has thanked Haiti for consistently voting in the United Nations General Assembly against the embargo put upon Cuba, and on Cuba's current and potential trading partners, by the United States.

Venezuelan Aid to Haiti

Haiti has benefited from a solid economic partnership with Venezuela. This recently-forged friendship between Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and Haitian president Rene Preval has resulted in various economic agreements. After a visit by Chavez in March 2007, Venezuela and Cuba announced a $1 Billion fund to develop energy, health, and infrastructure in Haiti. As part of this deal, 4 power plants will be constructed in Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien, and Gonaives, increasing the country's power production by 160 MW by the end of 2007. An oil refinery will also be constructed in Haiti, with a production capacity of 10,000 barrels of oil per day. In the meantime, Venezuela has increased the amount of petroleum it provides Haiti to 14,000 barrels per day, at the same terms afforded to ALBA member countries - these terms are more favorable than the Petrocaribe terms.

Venezuela's assistance to Haiti is founded upon a historic act where the newly-independent Haiti welcomed and tended to first Francisco de Miranda, then to Simón Bolívar and provided both with military assistance in the liberation of much of South America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid_to_Haiti#Cuban_Aid_to_Haiti

Bear in mind that Cuba is a poor country, yet proportionally their aid outweighs that of the US. Also Cuba is subject to these same storms.

[jaxx]

3. That's nice. Why isn't it fixed?

[leftstreet]

4. What are the capitalists doing to 'fix' Haiti?

Do they have no solutions?

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

7. The state of Haiti today IS the capitalists solution. n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. depends on what your defintion of "fixed" is.

and who benefits from that definition.

[EFerrari]

5. Cuba gave the most medical aid to Haiti of any country.n/t

[Dappleganger]

6. The US needs to follow through on their promises.

[malaise]

8. Maybe they want Haitians to die

Everything they're done since the Haitian Revolution suggests that they will never forgive Afro-Haitians for beating the French imperialists.

[blindpig]

10. It serves as an object lesson for the rest of us.

They would have us say, "There but for the grace of God...." but there is another lesson to be taken.

[JCMach1]

11. The indictment is people still living in tents... Of course there are still Palestinians living in

UN tents from the 1970's so am not soooo shocked. :(

[hfojvt]

12. I find it hard to believe that we have not spent a penny

http://www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/documents/0710_dart.pdf

"In the first six months after the quake, USAID has dedicated nearly
$654 million to address immediate needs of earthquake‐affected
populations in Haiti. As the country transitions from relief to recovery,
we are committed to staying with the Haitian people and helping
build long‐term, sustainable development solutions."

then who paid for all of this stuff?

"USAID’s DART coordinated the transportation, delivery, and
prepositioning of emergency relief supplies that included
› nearly 167,000 water containers
› nearly 127,000 hygiene kits
› more than 21,000 rolls of tarp
› more than 40,000 kitchen sets"

Or was there another $1.15 billion that we promised to borrow from China so we could help Haiti?