| "> | | | | independence. But the original flag, used since 1803, |
| INTRODUCTION | | | | was removed in 1986 by order of the new |
| In 1492 Christopher Columbus wrote about Haiti: "The | | | | government. |
| most beautiful in the world". Certainly, Haiti is a | | | | 1966: Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, arrives in |
| wonderful country in the Caribbean. I think that has a | | | | Port-au-Prince. Under the leadership of Dictator |
| special beauty, with a geography and traditional culture | | | | Francois Duvalier, many African countries maintain |
| that is totally different from all the other countries in | | | | official diplomatic relations with Haiti. |
| Latin America. | | | | 1967: The Comedians, a film by British director Peter |
| Since then, the dictatorships have destroyed Haitian | | | | Glenville, inspired in the cruel Haitian dictatorship by the |
| society, economy, ecology and sport. Since 1950, two | | | | Duvalier family. |
| million Haitian people emigrated to the United States | | | | 1971: After Duvalier's death, power passed to his son |
| and other countries. Haitian-American arrived from Haiti | | | | Jean Claude Duvalier, the man who became known |
| with nothing more than their clothes. If we compare the | | | | throughout the world as "Baby Doc". Baby Doc is as |
| Haiti of today to Haiti of thirty years ago, we see a | | | | dictatorial as his father. Haiti is ruled by iron hand. |
| change: a new multiparty democracy. Today, a vast | | | | Duvalier, best known for his anticommunist political, is |
| part of the Third World and more than a billion people | | | | omnipresent. Many opposition leaders were arrested. |
| are under dictatorships. | | | | He is accused of human rights abuses. Thousand of |
| Eventually, I would like to finish my introduction with a | | | | Haitian people fled the country. Corruption is prevalent |
| message by Albert Mangones: "Haiti is unique in history, | | | | at all levels of government. The health system is one |
| going directly from slavery to nationhood". | | | | of the worst in the Americas. |
| CHRONOLOGY: | | | | 1974: The sporting system is one of the worst in the |
| 1492: Columbus discovered Haiti in the 15th Century. | | | | Third World, but Haiti qualified for the 1974 FIFA World |
| 1520-1697: Haiti is a Spanish territory. In the late 1500 | | | | Cup. Haiti beat Trinidad-Tobago in the World Cup |
| and early 1600, African slaves flocked to Island. | | | | qualifiers. Is one of the greatest sporting moment, in the |
| 1697-1790: Haiti is a French colony. After 16th Century, | | | | chronology, comparing it to something like Sylvio Cator, |
| Haiti became the most important French colony in the | | | | who won a silver medal in long jump in the 1928 |
| Americas. Island´s export to Europe included | | | | Olympics Games in Holland. |
| sugar, coffee and corn. The beauty of Haiti is | | | | 1975: In El Salvador, Miss Haiti, Gerthie David, is named |
| recognized by the French in the mid-1700 Century, | | | | first runner up at Miss Universe Pageant... transmitting |
| when they called it "Pearl the Caribbean". | | | | live to millions by CBS. After, Gerthie David is |
| 1790-1803: During the French colonization slaves | | | | acclaimed in Port-au-Prince as a national heroine. Miss |
| suffers from maltreatment. By the late 1790, | | | | Haiti competed with 71 other women from around the |
| pro-independence demonstrations. An Anti-slavery | | | | world for the title of Miss Universe, including Miss USA, |
| movement under Toussaint L´Ouverture began. | | | | Summer Barthollomew. |
| L´Ouverture is one of the most important black | | | | 1980: Like Canada, West Germany South Korea and |
| leaders in the history.During this period of time, Haitian | | | | Kenya, Haiti boycott the Moscow Olympic Games in |
| slaves attack villages. Anti-French protests riots brutally | | | | protest for Soviet invasion of Afghanistan |
| suppressed. By the late 1803, under leadership of Jean | | | | 1980-1986: Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haiti's longtime |
| Jacques Dessalines, Haiti army defeated the French | | | | dictator, married Michelle Bennett, an aristocratic lady. |
| forces at the Battle of Vertieres. | | | | A little more than three months later, Bennett-Duvalier |
| 1804-1806:A French colony for more than hundred | | | | becomes First Lady of Haiti. Like Eva Peron |
| years, Haiti becomes independent, one of the most | | | | (Argentina) or Jiang Qing (People's Republic of China), |
| important events in the history. Jean Jacques | | | | she was a woman with great power. Michelle Bennett |
| Dessalines became the first president of new republic | | | | promoted her mulatto countrymen to positions of |
| of Haiti, the first black republic in the modern history. | | | | leadership in the dictatorship at his expense of the |
| Dessalines is the "Father of Modern Haiti". Haiti | | | | African-Haitians. |
| occupies the Western third of Hispaniola, the | | | | 1982: The National History Park (La Citadelle Laferriere, |
| second-largest Island in the Caribbean. | | | | Sans Souci Palace and Ramiers) is designated as a |
| 1804-1820: Unfortunately; Haiti is divided into two zones. | | | | World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Like Machu |
| Northern Haiti is occupied by Henri Christopher, who is | | | | Picchu (Peru) and Angkor What (Cambodia), the |
| named Emperor, while the north is occupied by | | | | National History Park is considered among the |
| Alexander Petion. Petion is probably the greatest | | | | wonders of the world. |
| Haitian politician who ever lived. | | | | 1982: Ronald Agenor wins a gold medal in men's tennis |
| 1880: Haiti has one of the richest ecosystems in the | | | | singles at the Central American and Caribbean Sports |
| Caribbean. | | | | Games La Havana. He captures the hearts of the |
| 1900: Haiti´s modern political has been | | | | Island. |
| tumultuous, marked by dictatorships | | | | 1983: Pope John Paul arrives in Haiti for a visit. "Things |
| 1915-1934: Haiti has not had an effective national | | | | most change here", said John Paul II. |
| government Invasion by United States forces. US | | | | 1986: As Jean-Claude consolidated his power, he |
| troops sent to Haiti during civil sub-war. | | | | consistently refused to consider constitutional reform. |
| 1918: The Presidential Palace, one of the best national | | | | The insurrection against the dictator Jean Claude |
| palaces in the world, is originally designed by the Haitian | | | | Duvalier began...Antigovernment protesters in the |
| Georges Bassan. Bassan is inspired to White House | | | | capital. Many deaths, injuries and arrests. Seeming end |
| Washington. | | | | to long Haitian dictatorship with fall of Duvalier regime. |
| 1926: Emily Greene Balch, a human rights activist, went | | | | 1987: Haiti has one of the America's rates of HIV |
| to Haiti. | | | | infection |
| 1928: Cator is the only Haitian ever to win olympic | | | | 1987: The New Constitution restored many of the |
| silver medal. After, Haitian athlete Sylvio Cator breaks | | | | liberties abolished by the Duvalier family. The National |
| the men's long jump record in Paris. Cator was given a | | | | Constitution recognizes both French and Creole as |
| hero's welcome when he returned to his country. | | | | official languages. A new opposition emerged under |
| 1937: In the Dominican Republic, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo | | | | Jean-Bertrand Aristide. |
| ordered national troops to massacre of 20000 Haitian | | | | 1988: Writer Rene Depestre wins the Prix Ranandot. |
| emigrants. | | | | Depestre, a Haitian dissident now living in France, was |
| 1940-1950: Haiti is one of the most popular travel | | | | cited his novel Hadriana dans tous mes reves. By the |
| destinations in the Caribbean. | | | | mid-1980s Rene Depestre had become well known in |
| 1944: Dewitt Peters, an American school-teacher, | | | | literacy circles outside Haiti. |
| founded the Centre d'Art in Port -au-Prince Since 1944, | | | | 1990: Ertha Pascall-Trouillot becomes the first black |
| Centre d'Art became the centre of the Haitian painting. | | | | woman elected of Head of State in the world. |
| It is now one of Haiti´s biggest tourist attractions, | | | | 1990: First multi-party elections. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, |
| and every year thousands of people came to see the | | | | a charismatic black leader, was elected president of |
| paintings and other work of Haitian art. | | | | Haiti. Aristide is the first democratic president since |
| 1945: Haiti becomes the 26th member of the United | | | | 1804.He was elected with the most popular support of |
| Nations in October. | | | | any Haitian presidential candidate in the history. |
| 1956: Haiti establishes diplomatic relations with the | | | | 1991: Military coup in the country. Raoul Cedras, leader |
| Republic of China (Taiwan). | | | | of the coup, emerged as head of the new |
| 1956: Daniel Fignolé is President of the | | | | government. This year marked the end of eight |
| Provisional Council and Head of State of Haiti | | | | months of democracy. Under new government, all |
| 1957-1971:After working for a time as a traditional | | | | political parties were dissolved. |
| doctor, Francois Duvalier became one of Haiti's most | | | | 1991-1995: Like Equatorial Guinea, Cuba and North |
| famous doctors. In 1957, Duvalier is elected President | | | | Korea, Haiti has one of the most serious human rights |
| of the Republic of Haiti. President Duvalier announced: | | | | problems in the Third World. |
| "My government will guarantee the exercise of liberty | | | | 1993: United Nations imposed economic sanctions on |
| to all Haitians". Francois Duvalier, also known for his | | | | Haiti, one of the most densely populated nations in the |
| nickname "Papa Doc", emerged as Head of State and | | | | Americas. |
| quickly gained nearly absolute power. In 1961 "Papa | | | | 1994: Peaceful occupation by United States forces to |
| Doc" rewrote the National Constitution. After, he | | | | restore democratic electoral system. Raoul Cedras |
| became the first "President for Eternity of Haiti". In the | | | | and his family went into exile in Panama City. Aristide |
| 1960s and 1970s "Papa Doc" popularizes superstitions | | | | was restored to power. |
| ideas to Haiti through a series of important voodoo | | | | 1995: In Port-au-Prince, sub-war violence includes |
| rites. The Duvalier dictatorship instituted rig press | | | | assassination of Meireille Durocher Bertin. |
| censorship. International agencies accuse government | | | | 1995: In Beijing, the capital of city of the People's |
| of grave human rights abuses. His regime of terror | | | | Republic of China, Haiti participated in the UN`s Fourth |
| resulted in the deaths of least 30000 Haitian. The Island | | | | World Conference on Women |
| is one of the most dangerous countries in the Third | | | | 1996:More than 5,000 Haitians had been killed and miles |
| World. | | | | more fled to abroad, United States, Canada, Bahamas |
| 1957-1981: Haitian First Lady Simone Ovide became | | | | and Dominican Republic, since 1991. |
| one of the most dominant women in the history of | | | | 1998: Haitian president Renè Garcia Preval |
| Haiti. Simone, wife of the most famous dictator of Haiti, | | | | arrives in Taipei (Taiwan) for a four-day state visit. He |
| gained in influence and power through corruption and | | | | and President Lee will sign a communiqué to |
| crime. | | | | strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation. |
| 1957-1989: For many decades, Haiti does not have | | | | 1999: Dominican president Leonel Fernandez visit to |
| diplomatic relations with the USSR, People's Republic | | | | Haiti as part of a new diplomacy. |
| of China, Cuba, Hungary, South Africa and East | | | | 2002: In Paris, Dudley Dorival finished 3rd in the 110 |
| Germany. | | | | hurdles at the World Championships. He becomes the |
| 1960: The Tonton Macoutes, the brutal secret police, | | | | 1st Haitian to win an individual international medal since |
| initiated a "Haitian genocide" in which political prisoners | | | | 1928.Dorival was born in New Jersey, United States, to |
| were tortured and executed. | | | | Haitian parents on 1 September 1975. He in 2000 |
| 1964: Joseph Eduard Gaetjens, the idol of millions of | | | | officially became a citizen of Haiti. |
| Haitians, is arrested and killed by the Tonton Macoutes, | | | | 2000: Haiti is one of the thirty poorest countries in the |
| the sinister Haitian secret police. Like John Barnes | | | | Third World. |
| (Jamaica) and Everald "Gally" Cummings (Trinidad | | | | 2000-2001: The elections were boycotted by the main |
| Tobago), he was a great footballer in the Caribbean. | | | | opposition political parties. Aristide was again elected |
| After, Gaetjens become a world symbol of the | | | | President. Widespread violent in Haiti allege that |
| struggle against dictatorship in the Third World. He had | | | | Aristide's election victory is fraudulent. Total political |
| dual Haitian and American nationality and played at | | | | censorship exists in national media. |
| 1950 World Cup for the United States. Son of Haitian | | | | 2004: This year Haiti is celebrating the 200th |
| mother and Belgium father, he played for many clubs in | | | | Anniversary of their National Independence. President |
| the United States. The year 1950 was a very | | | | Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti flees to Central African |
| important year for Gaetjens: the United States beat | | | | Republic following anti-government demonstrations. |
| England 1-0, the birthplace of the modern football. | | | | Haiti has one of the most violent conflict areas in the |
| 1964: Francois Duvalier changed the national flag. Black | | | | Americas. After, UN troops sent to Haiti during civil |
| and red are the colors chosen by Duvalier. Black, | | | | sub-war. |
| which is similar to the Angolan flag, represents the | | | | 2006: Rene Preval is sworn in as President of Haiti. |
| descendants of the patriot Francois Toussaint | | | | Since the peaceful transfer of power in February, Haiti |
| L'Ouverture and is also the traditional color of the | | | | is the newest democracy in the Third World. |
| Haitian people. While, red symbolizes the country`s | | | | |