Paramilitarism and the Assault on Democracy in Haiti
"Throughout the book, Sprague underscores links between paramilitary forces committing overt violent acts and the often-hidden forces of wealth, and national and international political power supporting the paramilitaries." -Inter Press Service (IPS) "Offering new evidence obtained through interviews and a massive amount of formerly classified US government documents, the book clarifies how Haiti's post-quake reconstruction rests on a foundation of total impunity achieved by the country's most brutal paramilitaries and their financiers."-Al Jazeera"Sprague argues essentially that with the winding down of the cold war and the emergence of capitalist globalization, that paramilitaries could no longer be used in such a permanent way, but rather have increasingly been used off and on - at certain time periods going into hibernation and then being redeployed when required."-The Bullet, E-Bulletin"The great value of this text lies in the contextual analysis of the role paramilitarism played in the desperate efforts to protect the power structures preserving Haiti's inequality and exclusion in the face of their biggest threat since the Haitian Revolution: the popular organisation and election of Lavalas and the Haitian people's aspiration for an alternative." -Haiti Support Group"...Jeb's book is a reminder of Haiti's delicate nature, like a powder keg ready to explode at any minute. He reminds us that, unless the majority's concerns are also on the list of policymakers' priorities, Haiti will remain unstable." -Dr. Hyppolite Pierre, American Government and Politics at American Military University; author, Haiti, Rising Flames from Burning Ashes: Haiti the Phoenix "It is absolutely imperative for Haiti’s history that such a detailed account of the role of paramilitary violence in the country be recorded. . . the marshalling of facts and events and the meticulous references are phenomenal."-Mildred Trouillot-Aristide,former First Lady of Haiti"The most substantial and detailed account yet written of the paramilitary insurgency that contributed to the internationally-sanctioned overthrow of Haiti’s constitutional government in 2004. . . . a thorough and convincing analysis of this scandalously under-studied sequence."-Peter Hallward, professor of philosophy, Kingston University, London; author,Damming the Flood: Haiti and the Politics of Containment"In this crucial work, based on years of interviews, investigative reporting, and analysis of classified U.S. government documents, veteran journalist and scholar Jeb Sprague provides a shocking account of the role of paramilitaries in subverting the aspirations of the Haitian people for democracy, freedom, and development."-William I. Robinson, professor of sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara; author,Latin America and Global Capitalism"A must-read not only for Haitianists, but also for anyone interested in the processes of political destabilization and popular disempowerment."-Robert Fatton, professor of politics, University of Virginia; author,Haiti's Predatory Republic"A brilliant diagnosis of the history of political violence in Haiti. Here’s a book that I will recommend everyone to read."-Jean Sénat Fleury, Haitian investigating judge of the Raboteau massacre in Gonaïves; author,The Challenges of Judicial Reform in Haiti