| International Confederation of Free Trade Unions Briefing on Haiti
The creation by Dominican investors of an free trade zone on Haitian territory (at Ouanaminthe, just opposite Dajabon) is the latest example of the economic imbalance between the two countries. Since 18 March, Dominican civil engineers have begun to clear the land on the Maribahoux plain. Resistance is building up, though, and they are working under the protection of the Haitian national police. Interview with Gaston Etienne, agricultural engineer in Ouanaminthe and member of the Pitobert Defence Committee. What are the characteristics of the Maribahoux plain? It's an agricultural area, particularly Nan Kakawo and Pitobert, the two sites selected for the project. It is also one of the country's last remaining areas with high agricultural potential. With a few adaptations, it could ensure that the whole of the north-east region was self-sufficient in terms of rice, beans and maize. The ground water is six feet deep. For as long as we can remember we have been calling for state assistance for peasants, a good irrigation system along with technical training to boost national production. Who will be the main victims of the free trade zone? There are three categories of victims: owners, those who rent out their land, and the tenant farmers who work on the two halves system (1). In most cases, we are talking about small-scale farms no bigger than 1.29 ha (a carreau). Those who have a deed of ownership may claim compensation but what about the others? At present, a compulsory purchase order has been placed on 54 farmers, 14 of whom have agreed to sell. You can understand their decision. Some of them aren't expecting anything anymore: they're too old, too isolated. But they truly are attached to their land - you should have seen the feeling of helplessness of these people here when the tractors began to destroy their crops. One lady whose garden is adjacent to the building site couldn't bear the situation: her heart just stopped there and then. How are the local authorities reacting to your protests? We are under pressure. On 6 May, Joseph Viladoin, one of our colleagues on the Committee was arrested at his home. He's currently being held at Fort Liberte on two charges. The police say that they found illicit substances at his house, specifically cocaine. In actual fact these were basic chemicals he uses in his workshop where he makes cabinets! They also suspect him of hiding in the cornfields on 18 May and shooting at tractors from the Dominican Republic when they came to destroy the crops. When did the authorities tell you about the project? They never told us! It was members of the Batay Ouvriye Union Federation, and also unionists from the Dominican Republic who made us aware of the situation in 2000. Last year, President Aristide came to Cap Haitien for a commemoration ceremony and together with President Mejia, they laid the first stone for the free trade zone in Ouanaminthe. Nobody ever told us anything about the project. Aristide said that the zone would be "the first fruit of the marriage between Haiti and the Dominican Republic". But at no point did the government see fit to offer any explanations or answer any of the people's questions. The M Group, the Dominican investor, turned up one day and told us informally about the project, and the authorities haven't told us anything about the idea behind it, its purpose or the benefits it will bring. We have tried to convince politicians. The new law on free trade zones does take into account what we have said to them: the text specifies that farming areas are to be exempt. But the authorities couldn't care less. Doesn't this free trade zone form part of a much broader project? Yes, the Hispaniola Fund, whereby the entire north-south border between the two countries is being transformed into free trade zones. Last year at the Americas Summit, an agreement was signed between the Haitian, Dominican and United States authorities to convert the bilateral debt of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic into an investment fund. What is the general feeling of the population, particularly amongst young people? From their point of view, the prospect of a job must be an attractive one? The people in this area are extremely concerned and those hoping that the creation of this free trade zone will ensure a better future for them are certainly in the minority. Many are struggling to accept the fact that the state is getting rid of a part of its national territory in this way. They are shocked that they have been kept in the dark. And they are also convinced that there will be nothing in it for them. The people living here have worked in the free trade zones of Santiago, they know that such areas bring exploitation and instability, that the companies relocate very quickly and leave behind filthy shantytowns. Given everything the region already has to deal with in terms of illegal trafficking, these are explosive conditions. (1) Half of the harvest is retained by the tenant farmer, the other half going to the owner as 'rent'. This interview is part a 12-page report: "Haiti: Spiralling out of control" published by the ICFTU on June 2, 2003
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