Penn State International Law Review Volume 11 Article 3 Number 1 Dickinson Journal of International Law 9-1-1992 Economic Development in Ravaged Haiti: Is Democracy Really the Answer? Barbara L. Bernier Follow this and additional works at: http://elibrary.law.psu.edu/psilr Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Bernier, Barbara L. (1992) "Economic Development in Ravaged Haiti: Is Democracy Really the Answer?," Penn State International Law Review: Vol. 11: No. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://elibrary.law.psu.edu/psilr/vol11/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Penn State Law eLibrary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Penn State International Law Review by an authorized administrator of Penn State Law eLibrary. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Economic Development in Ravaged Haiti: Is Democracy Really the Answer? Barbara L. Bernier* I. Introduction On Sunday, December 16, 1990, in fair and peaceful elections, the people of Haiti made what appeared to be a decisive change for democratic rule and social justice. Newly-elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's first democratically-elected president in more than 200 years, was a shining specter of hope for the Haitian people. A new constitution had provided for a decentralized government, but the enthusiastic vote for Aristide contrasted sharply with the vote in the parliamentary races. On September 30, 1991, a military coup ousted Aristide. Since then, the 6,000-man Haitian army and police have carried out a campaign of terror and intimidation against supporters of Aristide, who was popular with Haiti's poor people.' In addition, more than 16,0002 refugees fled the island, mostly in response to the political chaos and economic turmoil; the majority of those who escaped by sea were intercepted by the U.S.