One month after quake, critics doubt U.S. intentions in Haiti

Despite the assistance Haiti received from the US after being hit by its deadly earthquake, critics question the true nature of US involvement in the region, saying it may be seeking to make profit.

It has been one month since an earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and left almost one million homeless in Haiti. Although recovery efforts are continuing full speed, daily life in Haiti remains precarious and needs further assistance.

The U.S. has made the greatest effort in restoring the country, providing almost half a billion dollars in aid.

Many critics, however, fear that Washington, which has a legacy of investing in Haiti’s sweatshop industry under president François Duvalier’s regime, may be thinking of reviving this practice.

“[The US] wants to rebuild the country, not in the interest of Haitians after the earthquake but to start the tourism industry, to start new sweatshops and to start mango plantations in the countryside for export, not for meeting people’s regular needs,” claims Ashley Smith, columnist for socialworker.org.

Smith thinks that Haiti, instead, needs substantial investment in agricultural jobs that would provide people with a basic standard of living.