Hubert Odias, Freelance Writer.

Haiti today is a failing state, plagued by gang violence and the domination of imperial forces.  Despite strong opposition from them, former Sen. Guy Philippe has garnered the widespread support of the Haitian population for president.  But is Sen. Philippe the savior Haiti has longed for its redemption from a total failure?

Haiti is at a crossroads where two forces with diverging interests intersect.  It is a battle between good and evil where political ideologies are dissimilar.  On the one hand, Haitian people want to exercise their human rights, self-determination and changes with Sen. Philippe as president; on the other hand, the United States and its cronies want to maintain the status quo and the continuation of their total control and exploitation of the island. 

The forces of good represent the Haitian people, the real victims of Imperial domination. In contrast, the powerful forces of evil include the United States, France, Canada and the Haitian Oligarchs (also known as the 7-head snake).  The Oligarchs are also the bloodsucking vampires of the country’s treasury.  Like the United States and others, those Oligarchs coerce and corrupt elected leaders to keep the exploitative system unchecked. 

Despite all the political biases in Haiti, the overwhelming choice of the Haitian people for president is former Sen. Philippe.  If, as they say, the voice of people is divine, Sen. Philippe should have already been President.  The problem in Haiti is internal; it requires a Haitian solution. 

If Sen. Philippe is the solution to dire problems of Haiti today, he deserves to be president, however controversial he may be.  Sen. Philippe is no different from Pres. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Pres. Lula came out of prison, campaigned and ascended to the presidency.

However, if some people feel that Sen. Philippe is not the right man for the job, let history take its course.  So far, he is the chosen charismatic leader of the people; everyone must respect the will of the people. All the hypocritical countries that pretend to be friends of Haiti need to buzz off.

For example, Caricom (Caribbean Community) is not in a position to form a 7-member-presidential council to lead Haiti. The council’s plan of action is the repeat of the same conspiracy that serves the interests of the Oligarchs and the imperialists.

What Haiti needs right now is a drastic change from a strong and fearless non-aligned leader who does not hesitate to rub shoulders with governments of the Eastern and Western blocs. Otherwise, as the old Haitian adage goes, “running from the rain, and falling into the river.”

Moreover, Sen. Philippe, the most popular and likely leader, is excluded from the Caricom council.  Also, the selection of its members has not permeated the fiber of Haitian society, which makes the whole thing null and void.  Honestly, the choice of Sen. Philippe is undeniably incontestable.

Meanwhile, the alliance of well-armed gangs called “Viv ansamm” (living together) has attempted to storm the Haitian palace to make way for the eventual installation of Sen. Philippe as president.  Unfortunately, they retreated after facing military resistance from the police officers at the palace.

Also, every now and then, a sea of people flock to the streets of Port-Au-Prince demanding that Sen. Philippe be president.  Do the United States and others get this message?  Haitians are crying out for Sen. Philippe.  Their outcry over foreign meddling in Haitian political affairs is just and well-founded.

Like the late President Nelson Mandela, Sen. Philippe projects the image of a leader who can bridge all the divides and reconcile the entire nation.  As a former military and police officer, he has the know-how and probably the will to redeem Haiti from the instability of gang violence.

The fear of the imperial forces is understandable. Having a strong and leftist Philippe as president of Haiti would mean no business as usual. Their problem is that Sen. Philippe would be difficult and too patriotic to be manipulated and to turn into an allied puppet.

With Philippe’s eventual leadership, Haiti will prove to the imperialists that they are no longer able to continue to dominate over the country and squander its resources. Like Africa today, a new Haitian president will possess the courage to do away with the imperial forces that, for too long, have reduced Haiti to the point of political and economic stagnation.

Please note that the political wind of the liberation movement is blowing across Africa, especially in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, etc.  The leaders of those countries have broken the chains of oppression by kicking the French out.  The Americans, in turn, are making wild offers to those countries to avoid a similar fate. 

Haiti, as the leader of black freedom, is compelled to follow the African model. Sen. Philippe seems to aspire to be another Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso, Colonel Assimi Goïta of Mali and Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger. 

Those young men are all African leaders who stand up to the imperialists. Thanks to their courage and bravery, they have succeeded in regaining control and the destiny of their respective homelands.  If some day it is the case in Haiti, it will be historic; Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture and others will be rejoicing in their graves.

But Haiti is still in a quagmire.  If Sen. Philippe is the savior who can salvage the country, for heaven’s sake, let’s defeat the evil forces and make him president.  Hopefully, with Sen. Philippe, like in Africa, the long-awaited wind of the liberation movement and prosperity will be blowing throughout Haiti.