Declaration of the Solidarity Committee and the Urgent Help of the Haitian Population

The tragedy in Haiti has moved us all. As a result of the earthquake that occurred on January 12 more than 200,000 Haitians were killed, more the 300,000 were injured, and more the 3 million were left homeless and the country destroyed. This tragedy did not occur in any country, but only the poorest and most vulnerable country in the Americas that for centuries has been exploited by colonizers, bloodthirsty dictators, and  occupying forces.

The current aid to Haiti is not only insufficient but also directed to resolve the problems of the foreigners that live there and the upper classes of the population. Very little of this aid has actually been seen by the people who really need it.

MINUSTAH (The Mission of the United Nations for the Stabilization of Haiti) under the guise of stabilization and humanitarian aid has failed and continues to occupy Haiti as it has since 2004- ironically the Bicentennial of its independence. Unfortunately, this occupation has been aided by the embarrassing participation of Argentina’s troops under Brazilian mandate. Furthermore, the United States took advantage of this horrible tragedy inflicted by the earthquake and sent 20,000 marines to occupy strategic points of the country. These troops don’t serve a humanitarian purpose and only reprimand the hungry, protect the interests of North American businesses and, as already denounced, collaborate with North American citizens to bring Haitian children into North American countries, with consequences that will be difficult to foresee.  Furthermore, the United States desires to take over Haitian territory, secure the supply of valuable natural resources for its businesses, impose and implement its neoliberal policies as it does in times of crisis, and in the end, maintain geopolitical and economic control of the region.

The International financial institutions, the Paris Club, and the northern countries, responsible for generating an enormous financial and social debt for Haiti, have illegitimately claimed payment and have further facilitated the spread of poverty within the country, which was further aggravated by the earthquake. According to the IMF, the total debt of Haiti has reached $1.314 billion, and two thirds of the debt is owed to multilateral organizations, for example, $447 million to the Inter-American bank of Development, $165 million to the International Monetary Fund, and $39 million to the World Bank.

The Haitian people need our help, but not help that comes by the way of a machine gun. Haiti doesn’t need North American or Argentinean or Brazilian military personnel; it needs food, medical supplies, doctors, and nurses. The organizations that constitute this Solidarity Committee for the Urgent Help of the Haitian Population demand an increase of aid to Haiti, a withdrawal of MINUSTAH troops from the country, an immediate and unconditional cancellation of the external Haitian debt, and aid that will not generate new debt.

To the Argentine government, we ask for more essential supplies to be sent to Haiti, an immediate withdrawal of our national troops from the country, and a demand in the international arena of a cessation of military occupation of the country by North American forces.

We hold in our hands independent solidarity that derives itself from social, labor, political, and religious organizations here in Argentina and send it directly to our brethren in Haiti who need it the most: the women, the children, the workers, the peasants, and the poor.

In this sense we consider that the distribution of aid needs to be in the hands of the Haitian people and their organizations. Together they must have access to and coordinate humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of their country in a free and sovereign manner.

We call upon the Argentinean people to join us in this initiative of independent solidarity. In order to organize, we have formed this solidarity committee, open to all social, political, and religious organizations as well as any person who wishes to join in order to debate and advance strategies and actions with the goal of launching a true campaign of solidarity with the Haitian people to demand the withdrawal of foreign troops and the unconditional cancellation of the external debt of the country.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE HAITIAN PEOPLE!

FOR A FREE AND SOVEREIGN HAITI!

NO TO MILITARY INVASION- CANCEL THE DEBT NOW!

Buenos Aires February 2010

comiteporhaiti@googlegroups.com

Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and other organizations