This mission was seen as a success, even if it was hardly able to solve the deep-seated problems of Haiti. According to a 2013 study by the non-partisan RAND Corporation that said Haiti welcomed the mission to “continue indefinitely” and that it “could easily have evolved into a longer engagement” was “at risk of it Mission creeps in ”. .
With the use of American soldiers, Mr. Biden would grapple with other problems. It’s one thing to send troops after an epic natural disaster. It is different to step into an environment of political chaos, intrigue and dueling claims to power – not to mention marauding armed gangs. Many Haitians, aware of their country’s colonial and slavery history, already complain that their policies have been shaped by predominantly white foreign powers.
In 1915, the assassination of a Haitian president resulted in President Woodrow Wilson ordering US marines to invade the country, which began two decades of American occupation and unrest.
Some prominent Haitians were quick to reject their government’s request.
“Absolutely not. We don’t want US troops, US boots, US uniforms, none of that,” Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer and civil society activist, told CNN on Saturday. “Because Haitians are in Haiti due to the occupation of the country Having been traumatized by the United States for 34 years, we don’t want US intervention or troops or anything. “
“The international community is complicit in what is going on in Haiti,” added Ms. Clesca.
Another deterrent to Biden is the seemingly vague nature of Haiti’s request, including what is expected of American troops.
“The best approach in Haiti is for the United States to turn to either the United Nations, the Organization of American States, or a coalition of Latin American nations for a stability force,” said James G. Stavridis, a retired four-star admiral and a former head of the Pentagon’s Southern Command.
“But from a military point of view, it is very unlikely to enter the island, especially as we are completing operations in Afghanistan,” he added.