Fading Memory Haunts Haiti's Future

Just two weeks into 2024, two key events - the lack of remembrance of the devastating 2010 earthquake and the growing interest in Guy Philippe - have exposed the depths of Haiti's societal crisis and the daunting challenges ahead.

First, the remembrance of the devastating 2010 earthquake has noticeably declined. Fourteen years ago, the nation mourned together for the tens of thousands lost.

This year, finding a commemoration was difficult.

This reflects a broader tendency in Haitian society to forget important historical moments and the influential figures who shaped our past. Two examples illustrate this neglect: the crumbling state of the "Bwa Kayiman" site, where the 1791 ceremony sparked the revolution, and the neglected tomb of Dessalines, our founding father. As philosopher-historian George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Haiti is being crushed by interconnected crises fueled by drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering.

Second, a growing interest in Guy Philippe has emerged. Haiti is crushed by interconnected crises fueled by drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering. Mr. Philippe was central to these networks. Still, desperate for change, some citizens are turning to this controversial figure, a convicted drug lord and former paramilitary leader who once rebelled against a democratic government. The consideration of Philippe as a potential leader speaks volumes about the desperation and disillusionment gripping parts of the population. Worst of all, this event exposes the failure of the country's elite to offer realistic alternatives.

These seemingly unrelated events paint a chilling picture of a nation on the brink. The fading memory of our past and the interest in someone who was at the center of Haiti's nightmare highlight the profound challenges the nation faces in charting a path to a brighter future.