872-January-24: Internal correspondence from the Haitian Foreign Office revealed the underlying weakness of Haiti’s claim to Navassa Island.

872-January-24: Internal correspondence from the Haitian Foreign Office revealed the underlying weakness of Haiti’s claim to Navassa Island. Foreign Secretary Ethéart admitted to Minister Preston that Haiti had “never occupied Navassa in an official manner.” He explained that this “apparent abandonment” was not a renunciation of rights, but rather the result of “internal troubles” and the “impotence” of the government to maintain a garrison or establishment on the remote island. This admission proved damaging when the U.S. later maintained that “actual occupation” was the primary requirement for sovereignty.