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It could be said that Haiti or Ayiti -as the native Tainos named it- has been fighting relentlessly for more than two centuries to regain its independence and achieve an elusive self-determination and social justice. It was a free land until it was colonized by Spain in 1492, renamed Hispaniola, and then by France in 1665, which renamed it Saint-Domingue.
From the beginning, the natives rebelled against the Spanish colonists, who enslaved them for mining and agricultural work. Later, the French turned Haiti into a sugar-producing colony with African slave labor, under a regime of indescribable sadism and exploitation. This second chapter of horror triggered a heroic liberation struggle.
In August 1791, the Haitian Revolution officially began. It was the world’s first large-scale anti-slavery rebellion led by blacks and mulattos who sought to put an end to colonial oppression. Under the leadership of figures such as Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the Haitian rebels fought tirelessly against French, British and Spanish forces seeking to maintain control over the island.
Finally, on January 1, 1804, Haiti declared its independence, becoming the first nation in Latin America and the Caribbean to proclaim its emancipation and the first to be ruled by people of African descent.
However, freedom came at a high cost. French arrogance forced the newly proclaimed black republic to hand over 150,000,000 francs in reparations, a debt that took 122 years to repay. The country ended up heavily indebted to French, US and German banks.
As an example of resistance and courage for the oppressed peoples of the world, Haiti has never been forgiven by the imperial powers and 220 years after its liberation it continues to be targeted by economic blockades, aggressions and military occupations.
That is why Haiti’s fight for independence never ended, its rebirth has not yet been completed, and today its people remain a symbol of struggle for freedom and human dignity. Haiti’s revival will usher another emancipatory era in the Americas.
Click here to download the printable version of the calendar and hang it on your wall.
Text: Andreína Chávez. Illustration: Aldo Cruces.
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