By Katy Peplinskie
Haitian immigrant Jean Saint-Vil is struggling to educate Canadians about the plight Haitians faced since a coup overthrew its constitutional government in 2004.
He says the typical Canadian has no idea why the American-led coup was even staged.
“I don’t want to be one of those fanatics who blame everything on racism, but let’s be frank. That’s the reason for what’s going on in Haiti — pure, unadulterated racism,” Saint-Vil says.
Saint-Vil, who left Haiti at 14 to escape the “Baby Doc” Duvalier dictatorship, has attempted to return on three other occasions, only to leave again when the political situation deteriorated.
In his most recent return in 2003, he encountered the secretary of the Organization of American States, Ambassador Luigi Einaudi. Saint-Vil was relaxing in a hotel lobby when the two of them began talking.
“The real problem with Haiti,” Einaudi reportedly said, “is that the international community is so screwed up and divided that it is letting Haitians run Haiti.”
Saint-Vil says he was appalled by this comment: “Einaudi was a guy who was supposed to be brokering peace, but his sentiments were the same as all the politicians involved in this crisis.”
Two months after Saint-Vil and Einaudi spoke, the final coup took place and Saint-Vil returned to Canada again.
“White marines came into the palace, grabbed Aristide, and shipped him off to Africa as though he were some kind of luggage. This coup put an end to Africans affirming what is theirs,” says Saint-Vil.
In Arisitide’s place, the United States installed Gerald Latortue, someone who had lived in Boca Raton, Florida for the last 40 years.
“So you see, the problem resides not with skinheads, but with these three-piece suit politicians who consider a large part of humanity to be incapable of self-rule,” Saint-Vil says.
Even the North American Congress on Latin America has openly acknowledged that racism is Haiti’s “original sin.”
Saint-Vil has organized numerous events in Centretown to increase people’s awareness of this little-known reality.
In February, he helped organize an open discussion with moderator Kevin Pina, a journalist recognized for being the first Westerner to shine a light on Haiti’s human rights violations. This forum drew hundreds of people from around the city.
“People may have come to listen to me,” says Pina, “But what Jean has to say is far more valuable and compelling. He’s a revolutionary in the finest sense.”
Saint-Vil has been a featured political analyst on CBC television’s “Counterspin,” CPAC’s “Talk Politics,” and CBC Radio’s “The Current.” He is also the host of CKCU-FM’s “Rendez-Vous Haitien” and CHUO-FM’s “Bouyon-Rasin,” providing commentary on Haitian politics.
For several years, Saint-Vil also ran a community workshop called “Ayiti-Racine” or “Roots of Haiti.”
This workshop was designed to enlighten youth with Haitian ancestry about what is taking place on their native soil.
“I hoped that by learning about the situation, they would be spurred to get involved,” Saint-Vil says.
But for all he talks about Haiti’s decline since the 2004 coup, Saint-Vil is the first to point out the situation in Haiti has never been perfect. He knows this from first-hand experience, having spent half his life there.
“Even before the overthrow, it had problems — big problems,” he says.
Still, it was finally getting better.
“(Former president) Aristide was one of the few good things to happen to the place.”
Says Laura McDonald, a professor of Latin American politics at Carleton University: “Haiti is notorious for the brutal dictatorships. It has often been a country whose governments insisted upon unquestioning allegiance.”
Indeed, Saint-Vil personally experienced the Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier dictatorship. “People who questioned his government got arrested, my brother in law’s whole family ended up in jail, and people were dying in strange circumstances,” he says.
That’s why he immigrated to Ottawa with his mother at 14.
Though he had been reluctant to move to Canada — especially since it meant leaving behind his first girlfriend — he says he’s now grateful for the move.
“As a child, I had no idea how bad life in Haiti was. I thought poverty was normal. I though it was ordinary to have to be hush-hush about everything.”
Saint-Vil quickly found a niche in Canada, making new friends, throwing himself into his studies and becoming an avid painter and athlete.
But, after obtaining his bachelor of science degree from the University of Waterloo, his thoughts turned back to Latin America.
His father had become sick, so the time was ripe to return.
“At this point, Duvalier had been overthrown,” Saint-Vil recalls.
“It was a period of transformation. There were demonstrations and protests and all the other trappings of a civil society. For the first time, people were openly voicing their views and talking about politics.”
In 1990, a proper election was held with Jean Bertrand Aristide as the victor.
Soon afterwards, schools and hospitals began opening up, minimum wage was increased, and social mobility became feasible.
“For awhile, it seemed like anything was possible.” he says. “I was swept away by the optimism.”
The euphoria lasted seven months — then, the military intervened.
In light of the increased turmoil, Saint-Vil moved back to Canada and got a job as a senior program officer with the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
“I was biding my time,” he says. “All I wanted was to go back and be with my family, but it was too dangerous in Haiti at that point.”
Saint-Vil’s experience with the 1991 coup made him increasingly interested in the country. He started studying Haitian politics and attending Haitian solidarity rallies. In fact, it was at a demonstration that he met his wife, Fabienne.
“We were both frustrated with the situation in Haiti, and we both felt helpless in the face of the conflict,” he says. Together, they continued their activism work and waited for Haiti’s interim government to fall.
Although Bill Clinton’s economic sanctions and military intervention forced a return to Haiti’s constitutional government in 1994, the country’s fortunes did not pick up.
Allegations of electoral irregularities, continuing extra-judicial killings, torture and brutality swept the country.
Nonetheless, Saint-Vil couldn’t help but return home with his new wife in 1997. At this time, he and one of his American cousins opened an ice cream parlour.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to employ people since it was almost impossible for them to find work,” he says.
While he worked at the store, his wife studied education at Quisequeya University.
Saint-Vil and his wife didn’t remain in the country long though, returning to Ottawa just one year later.
“All the professors at my wife’s university were leaving. We thought it would be better for her to finish school in Canada (at the University of Ottawa).”
And so, Saint-Vil resumed his work with NSERC, had a son named Lanmoukaji, and began writing a book, Praise God, Down With Religion. Still, he remained preoccupied with his childhood home.
Finally, in 2003, he returned to Haiti, baby in tow, only to leave again when the 2004 coup removed Aristide.
Still, Saint-Vil says he’s optimistic that democracy will be restored. He’s met many Canadians who sympathize with Haiti’s plight and are trying to help.
“People ask me what they can do and I say, ‘Take a plane, go there, and see for yourself.’ On their return, they usually become very important players.”
“Together, we can fix this,” Saint-Vil says. “We need to move beyond the situation where people can pretend not to know what’s going on we can’t let people get away with that excuse, anymore.”
As for Saint-Vil, he’s just waiting for things to improve so he can safely move back with his family.
“Haiti will always be my home,” he says.