Haiti: Masses Rip Imperialists’ Cholera Epidemic

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 4 — July 28 was the date of the first U.S. invasion of Haiti in 1915. Today the current fascist government and its ruling-class masters chose it for a celebration. a “festival of flowers.” This is how they  commemorate almost a century of imperialist-led crimes against the masses in Haiti.
For almost 19 years, from 1915 to 1934, the U.S. bosses waged a relentless fight against the peasants, workers and students of Haiti. They killed many rank-and-filers during their bloody occupation, and murdered their leadership as well. One was Charlemagne Peralte, an organizer of the rural group called the Cacos, which had fought for many decades against the abuses of the local landowners, and then turned their fightback against the U.S. invaders.
Today, it is MINUSTAH, the United Nations-led imperialist force, which has been repressing, exploiting, raping and murdering the peasantry, working class and youth of Haiti since its arrival in June 2004. It is fronting for the major imperialists who want to control Haiti — the U.S., Canada and France.
Thousands of peasants and workers have died from cholera, imported by these imperialist forces. As of early August, over 1,000 days after its introduction into Haiti, 671,702 have become ill and 8,251 have died. [http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/haiti-cholera-counter]). The U.N. has yet to even apologize, or take steps to remedy its crimes.
Several working-class social groups organized a demonstration on July 26 in the Carrefour suburb here to continue the fight against these crimes of capitalism.
PLP took part in this event, distributing leaflets linking cholera to racism and other problems created by the capitalist system, and carrying signs advocating the need to destroy it. These were well-received by the rank-and-file. In fact, the demonstration and these slogans were used as teaching tools a few days later during some classes preparing high-school graduates to take the competitive exams for entry into the State University of Haiti.
However, the carnival-like atmosphere of the demonstration and the limited organization in the working class changed the character of this protest. Yet it did show the potential of the working class and its allies to respond positively to revolutionary ideas and a revolutionary party.
There is real room for PLP’s growth in Haiti and around the world as the bosses show their utter contempt for workers through their unrelenting attacks on our class.