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Endemic poverty, a tumultuous political situation and dire economic prospects are just some of the hurdles Haiti faces.

Yannick Etienne, a leading Haitian trade unionist, spoke to The Voice of the troubles that have gripped the world’s first black republic.

“People are living in misery. It is a difficult situation,” she said.

Etienne was in London last week and spoke at the European Social Forum held in Alexandra Palace.

DEVASTATION

She told of the natural and man-made contributions to the recent devastating floods that have killed more than a thousand people.

“It was just a disaster,” she said. “Gonaives [the town most affected by the flooding] had just a regular river. There were ecological and other problems there because there were no trees left to slow down the water, and negligence because the drains in the town were also blocked.”

She explained that the high death toll was due to many families being trapped in their homes.

“It all happened in the evening when people were in their houses. The water kept rising and it was too late for people to find a place to go.

“Even with the stronger concrete structures, water was up to the roofs and washed people away.”

The mass devastation in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere comes on the heels of civil unrest following the overthrow of President Jean Betrand Aristide in February.

Etienne continued: “The trust people had in Aristide in the ’90s became non-existent. They felt he was using politics for personal gains.

“While the people have problems with Aristide, they also have problems with the traditional political parties. They did not have an alternative political movement that could have changed the course of things.”

SLAMMED

Etienne also slammed the poor response from the rest of the Caribbean.

“The Caribbean groups did not get it right in supporting Aristide,” she said.

“They refused to co-operate with the Haitian people. I’m not saying that they have to back the US-supported government in Haiti.”

Etienne, a leader of the Batay Ouvriye trade union, is known for her role in tackling the pitiful working conditions in the Free Trade Zone located in the remote town of Ouanaminthe near the border with the Dominican Republic.

She said that young women working there were subject to appalling working conditions and were living on just 432 gourdes (£7) a week.

“They have to face the hard reality of working in oppressive situations where supervisors bring in the soldiers from the Dominican Republic to mistreat them.”

Published: 25 October 2004
Issue: 1137