Haiti or Hades?

March 28, 2024

The island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean is shared by two nations: Dominican Republic (DR), a prosperous democracy, and Haiti, an impoverished and failed state without law and order. The stark differences occurred in 1861 after Spain briefly occupied DR and imposed laws and policies that charted a course that led to success. Haiti, by contrast, deteriorated and careened out of control. Violent gangs now control its 11 million people and their water and food. They battle one another over power, money, assets, and lands. They have killed thousands and, just months ago, gangs breached the country’s prisons and released 4,700 convicts on to streets. Haitian security forces and police are overwhelmed and government officials have fled. The United Nations was petitioned to help, but it wasn’t until October that its Security Council approved the creation of a multinational security mission to go to Haiti in order to restore peace and deliver humanitarian aid. Even now, as spring approaches, no force has arrived and the country descends into chaos. Meanwhile, DR races to build a concrete wall along its shared 250-mile border to contain the violence and to keep out criminals and smugglers. “We have been asking for the UN and US to solve the crisis,” said Roberto Alvarez, DR’s foreign minister this week. “We have 10,000 soldiers guarding the border now. UN Security Council resolutions have been helpful, but we need a multinational security force.”