Jemima Pierre: How the West Underdeveloped Haiti

What are the roots of Haiti’s prolonged crisis? Haitian-American scholar Jemima Pierre takes us through the history of how the West underdeveloped the country, from French colonial looting and debt slavery to US invasions and imperialism.

Far from being a “poor country” locked in a cycle of violence, Haiti has been systematically destroyed by Western powers precisely because of its wealth and geopolitical importance. From the sugar plantations to the so-called “gang violence” of today, this is Haiti’s story.