I look forward to a frank exchange both on recent developments and on the ways we can work together to pursue strong American interests in Harti, particularly as Haiti faces critical legislative and local elections. Since the early 1990s, Haiti has been a prime focus of U.S. efforts in this Hemisphere. Pursuing these objectives has been a huge challenge, and the record has been decidedly mixed. Haiti is struggling to overcome political, economic and social legacies of nearly two centuries of ruthless, authoritarian regimes. It must overcome the most severe poverty in the Westem Hemisphere.
Democratic institutions are fragile at best.
Unemployment, crime, illiteracy, corruption, drug trafficking and poverty pose constant threats to stability. Had we and others failed to intervene, Haiti's nightmarish repression and economic disaster under the de facto military regime would have continued, along with flotillas of Haitians fleeing the terror, who numbered about 57,000 from 1992-94. The vast majority of U.S. troops were out of Haiti within six months, and the forces that remained moved from intervention to peacekeeping to humanitarian assistance. On January 30 of this year, the final elements of the U.S. Support Group withdrew, marking the end of the continuous presence of U.S. forces in Haiti. It is thus an appropriate moment to assess the progress achieved over the past five.years and consider the road ahead.