Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Day 0: Aristide To Return?

Well now this is interesting. First Baby Doc decides to come back to the country he ruled over as dictator for many years, and now Jean Bertrand Aristide, the twice exiled ex-President of the country, and by many peoples' accounts still the most popular political figure there, is perhaps considering a return? I'm not quite sure what it means for the Haitian people, but given the madness of the last year, I can't say it comes as a surprise.

My thoughts? Let him. Yes, his presence could be destabilizing. His party, Fanmi Lavalas, was barred from running in the elections by current President Preval. Bullshit, considering it is still very popular. To have him return could easily stir the pot, and generate an upswell of support from his base. Is that a bad thing though? If he truly is the people's choice, he should be allowed to return, even if it shakes up the system. It isn't a functioning system to begin with. I can't profess to know what he would be hoping to accomplish if he does come back to Haiti, but the reality is the Haitians don't have much in terms of leadership as it stands now. Hell, if Baby Doc is finding support from people he used to oppress, murder and steal from, it shows how desperately the Haitians want something akin to a steady hand at the wheel, even if that hand has blood on it. Aristide may be another option.

Once again, understanding Haiti proves near impossible. I can't help but love the place regardless.

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