Paul Farmer: AIDS & ACCUSATION

Paul Farmer’s mission to educate the true causes of sickness and poverty, about the connections between political economy and human suffering is admirably addressed in this powerful book. Haitians stricken with AIDS in the late 1980s in the tiny community of Do Kay. Farmer explains how local knowledge and personal reactions to illness are connected to larger national and global forces, and how the stage was set hundreds of years ago for the misery that is the reality for most people in today’s Haiti. What I must point out is how Haiti is decorated with palm tress and colorful hibiscus flowers. Mountains stand majestically looking down upon sandy beaches and green valleys. From afar it appears as any other island one might encounter sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Yet, as we draw closer we notice a difference.

5 December 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a large island in the region of the Western Atlantic Ocean that later became to be known as the Caribbean. Columbus promptly claimed the island for the Spanish Crown, naming it Navidad (Christmas), after his flagship, the Santa Maria. I continue to find several names that Columbus named Haiti upon discovery (Hispaniola and La Isla Hispaniola) which was it? Inhabited with Tainos (or Arawak) people, who called their island Ayiti, Bohio, or Kiskeya. The Taino Indian (or Arawak) inhabitants referred to their homeland by many names, but they most commonly used Ayti, or Hayti (mountainous) (http://www.travelinghaiti.com/history_of_haiti/spanish_colonization.asp). At first the Taino Indians were hospitable toward the Spaniards, these natives responded violently to the newcomers’ intolerance and abuse. When Columbus returned to Hispaniola on his second voyage in 1493, he found that Navidad had been razed and it inhabitants, slain... If it were not for the Old World’s interest in expansion and its drive to spread Roman Catholicism were not easily deterred; Columbus established a second settlement, La Isabela, on the North coast of Hipaniola, where gold had first been found, but it was a poor location and the settlement was short-lived (http://www.travelinghaiti.com/history_of_haiti/spanish_colonization.asp). It’s location and lush soil made Haiti a treasure constantly sought after by Britain, France, and Spain. Finally by the middle of the 17th century the island became a French colony. The birth of Haiti was known has a “nightmare” (Farmer, Paul Chapter 16 pg.164). As was for every country that endured slavery. The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere, Slaves initiated the rebellion in 1791 and by 1804 they had succeeded in ending not just slavery but French control over the colony. It should be noted the Revolution was much more complex, consisting of several revolutions going on simultaneously. Proceeding the revolution Dessalines proclaimed, “Never again shall colonist or European set foot on this soil as master or landowner.”(Farmer, Paul Chapter 16 pg.165). The new constitution drafted by Dessalines, was meant to mark Haiti’s drastic departure from the regional status quo. Haiti was officially declared an asylum for Maroons, and for any person of either African or Amerindian descent (Bryan 1984: 32-33; Campbell 1975:35). It was mentioned Dessalines “governed with terror”. Fearing a French resurgence and the reinstatement of slavery Dessalines ordered the massacre of 5,000 of the island’s white men, women, and children declaring “I have saved my country. I have avenged America.” However, two years later Dessalines was assassinated from the hands of his very own lieutenants (http://www.blackpast.org/?q=gah/dessalines-jean-jacques-1758-1806).

In 1878 Haiti was engaged in “un grand commerce” with the United States, France, Britain, Germany and Italy. Exporting coffee, cotton, cocoa and mahogany generated 53 million in exports. Finally a period of peace in Haiti ten years to be exact. Haiti controlled 80 percent of all international commerce (Rotberg 1971:112). This success was short lived. Haiti’s foreign debt had grown to the point of exceeding the nation’s capacity to repay. In 1903 an estimate of $33,121,999. In 1904, it was $40,891,394 (Castor 1988b:21). In 2009 Haiti’s external debt was $1.2 billion (http://canadahaitiaction.ca/node/37). In 2008 Haiti imported more than $325 million in rice, wheat, poultry and other food items from the United States. Haiti is known today as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Evidently Haiti is a dependent of the U.S. today. I was not surprised with the amount of debt Haiti has created. Since Haiti constantly endured extortion, instability, and corruption from the 24 different Chief executives between 1807-1915, which only eight were in office for a period equal to their elected terms and seventeen were deposed by revolution. Haiti was victimized time and time again by foreign merchants, foreign capitalists, and foreign government. If it were not for the foreigners a large majority of the of the revolutions would not have occurred (Allen 1930:125). Many believe the use of voodoo was the cause of Haiti’s suffering. One fellow Fardin gave up his mother for fortune (Fardin made a deal with the devil). Indentured slaves used voodoo against their oppressors to cause the same pain and suffering has they have endured. Voodoo was also used to kill other natives pigs, there was a intense level of jealously between Haitians. One could not see another doing better than them. Voodoo is considered by some as a religion and others a curse. Voodoo is the dominant religion in Haiti, many of the practices and descriptions of Voodoo belief sounds like superstition to me. Rituals commemorating the lwa (spirits), lucky events, births and deaths involve dancing, drumming and spirit possessions. Ceremonies are also performed to gain a certain lwa's favor, perhaps to heal disease or end a run of bad luck, and may include offerings of food, toys and even animal sacrifice (which was lead to believe one of causes of AIDS). Other forms of prayer include the veve, a pattern made of cornmeal that pleases a specific deity, and the creation of colorful prayer flags, which are considered Haiti's finest form of folk art and collected worldwide. The music, drumming and dancing associated with Voodoo rituals have become an important part of Haitian pop culture (http://www.haitisurf.com/culture.shtml).

AIDS was a stigma that followed Haitians all over the world. AIDS was also known as the “gay plague” (Farmer, Paul Chapter 19). The effects of this stigma and prejudice were life changing for all Haitians. The effects were lost of employment, discriminated from donating blood, and homosexuals were denied health care. The list goes on and on. AIDS was blamed on Haitians due to their rituals during voodoo ceremonies. In one act women would add their menstrual blood to a drink for their husbands so they would not stray and many others. The blame of AIDS played a destructive role in social responses. Unnecessary suffering could have been avoided by not blaming Haiti for AIDS. While there are many speculations about how AIDS was born and the government creating this virus to get ride of people in Africa. Other speculations were that AIDS had been given to Haitian’s by North Americans or Haitians traveling back to Haiti. Did whites create AIDS to get rid of blacks? As there is no true evidence to support that, one can only speculate.

In conclusion, the effect of AIDS had on Haitian’s was detrimental and still until today Haiti has not recovered from this stigma. It is unfortunate the power of the press contains it is a insurmountable amount for which in some cases they use to their advantage. Once you become a headline you are bonded to that name for a lifetime. I would like to point out that currently there are no tourist resorts dotting the coasts, no high rise hotels with sand volleyball courts and marimba bands. This is Haiti, this is different. If the land could speak it would tell of tragedy and violence, of abuse and bloodshed, of power and greed. Why does the country stand apart from its neighbors? The answer lies in the turbulent history of this tiny nation.