Published August 22, 2012 By Natalie Manning Briefing CCPPR12HT Report available in PDF and Flash formats

Since its independence over 200 years ago, Haiti has been embroiled in instability and violence. The Duvalier family, who ruled for 30 years, was responsible for the killing of over 30,000 Haitians, the torture of many thousands more, and the mass exodus of most of the educated classes. Haiti has since been ruled by a series of illegitimate leaders – including a military junta in the 1990s. In 2004, the United States led a mission to insert an interim government, and in the period since the UN has spent at least US$5 billion on the MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission. Current President Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly was inaugurated in 2011, after winning competitive elections. While he faces many challenges, Martelly has vowed to restore state security and streamline aid distribution.

Haiti’s existing challenges were exacerbated by the 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people and displaced a million more. The rebuilding of infrastructure has barely begun, and a cholera outbreak has added to Haiti’s woes. The country remains the poorest in the Western hemisphere and is heavily reliant on aid for survival. Haiti will need to diversify its economy to become self-sustaining, including focusing on developing the rural areas and reviving agriculture to reduce its reliance on imported food.

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