Ever wonder why Haiti is a poor country with rampant corruption and violent crime? Grab a seat, mon ami.
France enslaved the people of Saint-Domingue (today's Haiti) in the 17th century, running their brutal plantation economy until the enslaved population did the unthinkable — they revolted and won their freedom. But instead of paying reparations TO the people they'd enslaved for generations, France rolled up with warships and demanded Haiti pay THEM compensation. For losing their slaves.
As reported in The Conversation, exactly 200 years ago, France handed Haiti bill for 150 million francs — roughly $44 billion in today's money.
Haiti was like, what is this merde de taureau? But it's hard to say non when the French ask politely, pointing their cannons at you.
And guess where Haiti had to borrow money to pay France for freedom from France? French banks. It's like having your kidnapper charge you room and board, then send you to their cousin's payday loan business to settle the bill.
This financial stranglehold drained Haiti's resources. So while France built its fancy boulevards and museums, Haiti couldn't afford basic infrastructure, education, or healthcare.
Now French President Macron promises "memory initiatives" to address this historic theft. Because nothing says "sorry we economically kneecapped your country for two centuries" quite like a commemorative plaque.
Today, Haiti's poverty rate sits at 59% while France enjoys its $44,690 GDP per capita. So next time someone asks why Haiti "can't get its act together," remind them about the time France pulled off history's longest-running heist — and still hasn't given the money back.
Previously:
• A brief history of how the rich world brutalized and looted Haiti, a country the US owes its very existence to
• Cruise ship docks at private beach in Haiti for barbeque and water sports
• Cholera in Haiti: This isn't bad luck, this is poverty
