The day after

By now it seems that only a miracle or Vodoo can save President Aristide of being ousted from Port Au Prince.

Everybody in the country, thugs, rebels, and the opposition, are for it, abroad France Minister Villeipin already said that Aristide should step down, and the Americans, although are trying not to be involved again are hinting that watever solution comes, the future is without Mr. Aristide.

The question then is what is next? I have been speaking with some Haitians and that is the problem, what is going to happen the day after. By now it seems that internally and internationally some of the so called leaders of the uprising are former military and thugs trained by Mr. Aristide that were not happy with the Reparto. In spanish I will say "Hubo mal reparto" there was a bad share of the benefits, and that is why this thugs flipped sides from being pro-Aristide, to be his worst nightmare. The best option the Civil Society side doesn't have a clear leader, and the group is amorphous (even though I have heard good comments about Group 184), there are no shared objectives, and the only common objective is the opposition to Chavez, (Sorry a mental lapse, Aristide)

Mary O'Grady on her friday's feb 20, 2004 America's column suggested that Haiti can be a meltdown a la sub-Saharan Africa and the dilemma is precisely will the West stand by and watch quietly?

I believe that only when countries start taking care of their own problems they will be able to face a better future. The Saddans, Talibans, brutal dictators in Africa and Mr. Aristide are the fruit of the good intentions of the international community that sides with the weakest ones. Unfortunately it sends the wrong message to the natives that get used to see somebody to came up and clean the mess. It's like kids that are overprotected by their parents. They end up being weak and fragile. Only when you let people face the results of their decisions, they start being responsible. And that can be sometimes nerve wrecking specially if you see somebody that you care go over the same mistakes again and again.

The international community should wait and see what happens, help receiving refugees, and have and advisory role if it's asked, but sending troops, and siding with some of the opposing forces its going to be only a source of more conflict and teach the citizens of the country not to act responsible when they go to elections either by not showing up to elections or electing Messiahs that offer God-send solutions.

Some Links of interest about Haiti:

The Economist

Haiti Pundit

A bloger in Haiti