!!!!!!My trip to Haiti, May 2007 (WARNING: this is not a pleasant thread)!!!!!!

In May 2007, I had a short stay in Port of Prince, capital city of Haiti, and took these pics. Most of them were taken from a moving vehicle, so pardon me for their bad quality.
Coups, clashes, armed robberies, kidnappings, and poverty.
Besides sending peace-keeping troops, what can the world do to help this unfortunate country?

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30. Anti-robbery iron fences can be found everywhere in the city. Inside these stores, cashier's counters are also equipped with these things.

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33. The President's office. Also called the Little White House.

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The second day I was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a place not too far from Haiti. A totally different world.
What can we say?
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Why are all Black dominated societies so unfortunate? I find it quite strange whether its from the Carribeans or Africa.

The USA should do something about this poor unfortunate land...instead of spending trillions on wars and inciting terrorists.

Basic water treatment plants , re-forestation, urban infrastructure , schools , hospitals. A mere 50 billion will do fine.....that's one month's worth of war mongering.

What an ignorant statement. Maybe you should learn a little history before commenting. Taken from the 'Travel Haiti' website:

"By the mid-eighteenth century, a territory largely neglected under Spanish rule had become the richest and most coveted colony in the Western Hemisphere. By the eve of the French Revolution, Saint-Domingue produced about 60 percent of the world's coffee and about 40 percent of the sugar imported by France and Britain. Saint-Domingue played a pivotal role in the French economy, accounting for almost two-thirds of French commercial interests abroad and about 40 percent of foreign trade. The system that provided such largess to the mother country, such luxury to planters, and so many jobs in France had a fatal flaw, however. That flaw was slavery. "

" For over 100 years the colony of St. Domingue (known as the Pearl of the Antilles) was France's most important overseas territory, which supplied it with sugar, rum, coffee and cotton. At the height of slavery, near the end of the 18th century, some 500,000 people mainly of western African origin, were enslaved by the French."

Basically France got rich off of Haitian slaves. When finally the slaves formed a successful rebellion, Haiti became the first free Black Republic in the world.
The rest of the world, however viewed the nation as a threat and refused to recognise it as a Republic, therefore refusing it trade.

In short Haiti has been raped over and over again starting with the native slaves, and continuing with the African slaves. The seeds of those days are still being sown today.

Read more for yourself:http://http://www.discoverhaiti.com/history_summary.htm

I can't believe that's here in the Western Hemishere... Looks like something you'd see in Africa.

I think it's more France's problem than anything else. Haiti's then president Aristide " launched a vigorous campaign last year(2004) for Haiti to be given back $20 billion, the equivalent of 90 million gold francs they paid to France in reparations in 1825, more than 200 years after the country gained independence. "

Needless to say Aristide failed,Some people believe that is why that President was forced into exile.

BTW thanks Autumn river for those eye opening pics. I myself am half Hatian and have never been there. If you have any more photos please post them.

Nice to meet you on the forum.
We really wish Haitians a better life.
Of course I will post more pics. Give me some time.

Thanks for the pics. I'm Haitian and have been there a few times, but I never spend too much time in Port-au-Prince (but I do remember it wasn't all abysmally poor like most of the pics).

Next time go to Jacmel on the southern coast. It's beautiful there.

why were you down there?

So sad how alot of Haitians have to live. It the country had is act toguether, Haiti could be a tourist paradise. Bringing alot of jobs to the locals. It is in a great location in the Caribean with a nice landscape and is very close to the USA.

I don't know what to say. Like most people that have seen this thread, I have mixed feelings.

I would just like to illustrate that, although Haiti is a very poor nation that needs a major overhaul, not everywhere looks like this.

Although the pics above are a reality, it is undoubtedly a misrepresentation of the whole country

There are many non-dirty/grimey areas of Haiti (especially outside of the capital):

And of course Haiti is full of beautiful countryside an beaches

FRANCE should!

Too bad Haiti's situation, having such an amazing landscape and proximity to the U.S, i hope things get better for them.

Amazing pictures. It is a shame that the problems still exist. However, I would not point fingers at the USA helping. All countries should be helping.

Why if it's true?

Plus the Prime Minister has to be black-thats what their constitution says

Wow,what an eyesore, hopefully a massive hurricane will cleanse that land this season.

An English writer by the name of John Milton once said...“The mind can make a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven”

I see beauty in SOME of those pictures i found the full of life and hope, it matters NOT where a person is born,but who they chose to be.

The best things in life ARE truly free.,i still see children playing in the streets in those pictures and a beautiful sky and a green lush island and that gives me hope.

We are all human regardless of color or wealth.

I would prefer to stand in the eye of the hurricane with this people,then to be in the company of a narrow minded hypocrite that places value of a nation on its economic wealth.

Some of those pictures even reminds me of poor ¨colonias¨in my city wich i love is like been in love with a ugly woman.

Poor COLONIAS in my City of Tijuana Mexico.


Shot at 2007-07-05


Shot with FinePix S3000 at 2007-07-05

The biggest peoblem in Haiti is probably the crime. Instead of working together for a better future, people just steal from their brothers. This is a place were a strong islam or christian regime would be usefull.

hey those colonias arent THAT UGLY AT ALL!!! reminds me of where i used to live in el salvador and i thought it wasnt ugly...as long as the streets arent full of garbage!