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Manna from the ocean
February 2001

By: Strauss Vedrine, Journalist, Haiti
Edited by Ives Marie Chanel, Haiti

English français español kreyol

The drugs business has boosted the economy of several coastal towns and localities of Haiti.

Young and old, fishermen and farmers neglect their traditional occupations to await the drop-offs of this new manna coming from the sky or the ocean.

Baptiste is one of those. Recently he left Marigot, his home village in the South-East of Haiti, and walked for 4 kilometers to reach Guillaumonde in search of the precious powder.

Baptiste, who is 29, was motivated for his "research" trip research" following the news of a recent load of cocaine which was dropped in the area.

However, Baptiste is not completely free in his movements given that he lives with his family.

"I told some people that I am here to make a prospective study for the establishment of an irrigation project," he said.

"I can not go to Guillaumonde without giving a valid reason. At this moment, they could imagine that I am looking for money or that I am committing suicide," he said.

In this community which can only be reached by sea or on foot, the drugs business has modified the economic situation. The community is transforming itself into a genuine construction site, one can observe.

Cement and brick houses of large dimensions have replaced the fragile shanties which are made of cabbage palm trunks.

Many residents have exchanged their rowing boats for motor boats. While the fishermen get better fishing equipment, bikes are being replaced by motorcycles.

"Now, when the fishermen get to the open sea, they just look for cocaine," Baptiste's brother Pierre declares. He is a leader of the community of Marigot.

The freshly discharged drugs is sold for 30,000 Gourdes (approx. US$1,500) a pound by the fishermen. The price of a pound reaches 40 or 50,000 Gourdes a few weeks later.

Illegal drugs traficking has rapidly caused the appearance of many fire arms in this community, which formerly was very quiet.

"All the peasants are hanging around with guns now, they do not fish any longer," Pierre stated.

"Residents used to inform the police when they found or suspected people involved in unlawful drug dealing. They would bring the drugs to the police station. But when they realized that the police took advantage of this, they decided to reach an agreement between themselves," a school teacher in Jacmel said, the main city of the south east.

The Haitian National Police was created in 1995, following the demobilisation of the army after the intervention of a multinational force which was dominated by the U.S.A. The force restored President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power, who was overthrown by a military coup in 1991.

Since its creation, by 1998 at least 50 police officers had been dismissed for illicit drug traficking. None of them has been brought to justice.

In 1998, the Haitian police made 86 arrests for illicit drugs traficking, an increase of 69% compared to 1997, according to a report of the US State Department.

Colombian drug trafickers particularly use the Haitian South Coast, such as the areas of Aquin and St.Louis, as well as some areas of the South East (Marigot, Bainet) to drop off their drugs.

In 1998, about 54 metric tonnes of cocaine passed through Haiti, in comparison to 46 tonnes in 1997, according to a US State Department report dated June 1998.

[585 words]

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