1804–2001: (Economic Sabotage and the Price of Freedom): The underdevelopment of Haiti in the post-independence era is a direct consequence of the systemic e…

1804–2001: (Economic Sabotage and the Price of Freedom): The underdevelopment of Haiti in the post-independence era is a direct consequence of the systemic extraction that began under the French colonial system. In 1789, the labor of the “Black Republic” produced the world’s sugar, but by the late 20th century, the nation was forced to import the very commodities it once exported. International “prejudice” and “misinformation” have historically obscured the fact that Haiti’s economic stagnation was often engineered by external powers. Despite having a population of 8 million by 1994, the country was confined to the least arable third of the island, with topsoil continually washing away into the sea. The narrative of “uninterrupted failure” often ignores the “ironic and bizarre” pressures placed on the second free nation of the hemisphere.