As situation worsens, Haitian group leader in Barbados worries about ‘backlash’

By Ryan Gilkes

The founder of the Haitian Association of Barbados Marie Etienne has expressed wariness about Barbadian troops taking part in the multinational force being organised as her homeland descends into anarchy fuelled by criminal gangs. She has also urged Barbadians to “stop demonising” Haitian society.

But she acknowledged the worsening situation, raising concerns about the ability of people, confined at home, to obtain food, as daily life becomes a struggle for many Haitians, particularly in the capital Port-au-Prince.

“People are not comfortable, they’re not happy with the situation,” Etienne told Barbados TODAY. “And of course, the concern would be that even if they stay locked in at home, how do they get sustenance? How do they get food? How do they go out on the street to buy food? The situation is quite dire. Persons are not able to go to work, not able to open their offices . . . those who sell on the streets are not able to go to sell.

“As far as the situation is concerned, one person told me specifically that she’s quite happy that her daughter is not in Haiti at the moment because it would have been difficult for her to be running for her life and running with her daughter in hand at the same time. But whenever there are problems there, she has to look out both for herself and her child and have to hold the child’s hand and make sure that they find a place for safety.” 

Barbados is among five countries to pledge troops for a Multinational Security Support Mission to “take all necessary measures” against alleged gang members while collaborating with Haitian police to secure routes for humanitarian aid and ensure stringent measures to prevent further rights abuses, according to a United Nations Security Council authorisation.

As the Barbados Defence Force prepares troops for deployment as part of a UN-sanctioned multinational force, Etienne suggested that opinion surveys be conducted among Haitians here and the Barbadian public. 

The BDF’s preparations to assist the CARICOM nation come some 30 years after its last deployment to Haiti for Operation Restore Democracy to restore the presidency of the democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 

Judging from past experiences, Etienne feared a backlash against Haitian nationals here should any Barbadian soldiers be harmed in Haiti.

She said: “I had an experience in the early 90s. I was pregnant, I was in a cinema, and I sat next to a gentleman who happened to be a member of the Barbados Defence Force. When I told him that I was Haitian, his facial expression changed and he told me that about 24 of his brothers were in Haiti right now fighting for Haiti. And he was pretty unhappy about people in Barbados going to Haiti. And for me, personally, living here and knowing how close-knit the Barbadian society is, and most people are basically related to one another, I would not want anyone from Barbados to lose life or limb in Haiti. 

“What can we do to help Haiti? At the moment now, we can see, as the adage goes, the horse has already broken its way out. To me, it’s a bit late to try to do something now – not just the 11th hour, but this is probably past midnight as far as this is concerned. If the government deems it necessary and fit for the defence force to go to Haiti and assist, then so be it. I cannot fight that. However, personally, I wouldn’t want Haitian nationals here to go through discrimination as far as any Barbadian losing life or limb in Haiti, because I am sure that there will be repercussions after that.”

While acknowledging the need to address the situation, the head of the association has questioned the timing, highlighting measures that in her opinion could have eased the current situation.

“I know the CARICOM heads would have done that. A few delegations went to Haiti to do that. But I think, to some degree, CARICOM is basically kicking Haiti out of [the Community] without even saying so. A Haitian national needs a visa to enter any CARICOM territory at the moment. I don’t see how you can be a member of a grouping and not be allowed to have the same benefits as all other members.  

“We also need to have some form of sensitisation, not only of Barbadians but of the whole CARICOM community, as to what or who Haitians are. What has been the challenge has been the language barrier between Haiti, with the Haitian Creole as well as the French, and CARICOM members being mostly English speakers,” Etienne said.

Highlighting her homeland’s contribution, she made a plea for a shift in perception and recognition of the benefits that businesses in Barbados and the Caribbean can derive from the Haitian economy.

“As far as CARICOM is concerned, and especially Barbadians, I would like them to stop demonising Haitian society or the Haitian people generally . . . . Most people have an adverse reaction when you say that you’re Haitian because automatically, they revert to asking you questions about things that you may not be interested or involved in.

“I would also like to point out the fact that, due to the language barrier, it would be good if CARICOM nationals who were really interested in helping Haiti started learning our language. [In] the same way that they can learn Chinese and Japanese, they can take time to befriend a Haitian national and learn the Creole language as well. It would benefit them in speaking to us, recognising that our economy is made up of 10.5 million persons, whereas other countries are benefiting from our economy. Businesses in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean can benefit from the Haitian economy as well.” 

(RG)