MIAMI, F.L., December 12, 2010 – At this week’s Haiti Reconstruction Conference in Miami, F.L. contentions between the U.S. and Venezuela signal a larger rift between the delegates and hint at the formation of two broad coalitions, one behind the U.S. and in favor of business-led recovery, and the other promoting a socialist agenda. (See article: “Chaos and Conflict Ensue at Opening Plenary.”)
The U.S. was singled out for its generosity by many Haitian delegates. Since the earthquake hit on Jan. 12, the U.S. has committed and/or pledged nearly $2.6 billion to Haiti. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mentioned in the run-up to the conference, nearly half of American households donated to Haiti relief.
The Haitian Senate expressed its “deepest gratitude” to the U.S. for “its hospitality and long-lasting friendship.” A confederation of Haitian mayors thanked the U.S. for its “long-standing commitment to developing the government of Haiti.” Haitian small and medium-sized enterprises noted that America is their greatest trading partner, and expressed appreciation for the HOPE II Act, which allows for preferential treatment for Haitian goods.
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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced initiatives supporting the Haitian private sector, recognizing it as the only true means to wean Haiti off of an increasing dependence on aid and lift it from its entrenched poverty. This call was seconded by the Carlos Slim Foundation – the private charity of a Mexican businessman – which outlined the need to re-launch private sector development and create a class of entrepreneurs in Haiti who can create jobs and pay taxes.
The Haitian business community echoed these sentiments, and advocated that aid jobs be given to Haitians rather than foreigners, that the Haitian government deregulate business and make Haiti a more attractive place for investment, and that Haiti expand its markets for local exports. The call for open markets was also proscribed by the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s Hispaniolan counterpart.
Notably, the only delegates not granted the opportunity to address the plenary were international financial institutions – the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank.
Contrasting with these pro-market leaders, a coalition coalesced around the imperatives of the socialist Venezuela. George Soros of the Open Society Foundation, a controversial billionaire often linked to political destabilization across the world, announced his organization’s desire to partner with Venezuela and called for the legalization of marijuana in Haiti for cultivation.
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The Confederation of Haitian Workers, an umbrella group for Haiti’s labor unions, argued that international aid alone wasn’t sufficient, and that Haitian workers demanded a “living wage,” “working conditions” to match their standards, and the “right to unionize.” Similarly, a representative of Haitian farmers – who self-righteously declared herself “appalled” that there had not been a moment of silence – demanded the “peasants’ right to land” in the name of “social and environmental justice” and complained about Western food aid and “an international presence that has long overstayed.”
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