haiti bleu et rouge

if rené préval gets returned as expected to the presidency of the poorest country in the western hemisphere, his election will repudiate not only the thugs who overthrew haiti's first elected chief executive, jean-bertrand aristide, 2 years ago, but also the bush administration, which 1) allowed the coup after colin powell promised the US would prevent it, 2) assisted it by spiriting aristide out of the country, and 3) probably helped start it or, at least, encouraged it.

the gop hostility toward aristide is no secret. when the US and UN helped him return to power in 1994, 3 years after his first ouster by bloody military coup, the US increased economic aid to haiti but reduced it again after the gop took control of congress. aristide kept his pledge not to seek reelection, but he ran again 5 years later after the economy tanked under préval. when the US ended all aid, the next rebellion became virtually inevitable.