Haiti's Riches: Interview with Ezili Dantò on Mining in Haiti

Ezili Dantò: Well, the way forward, number one, is for Haiti to get back its sovereignty. And I think there was an intense discussion between 1994-2004 and I think this discussion needs to be put back, that's what democracy is about. I think that the plans the Lavalas folks had in their White Book, where there is a just partnership between the private sector and the public and the government. So that the skills necessary, for instance, to do safe extraction are applied, and to protect the people are applied - with the understanding that a private company is going to want its profits, but also with the understanding that the Haitian people have an interest. Right now the only thing that anybody is dealing with is the profit of the foreign companies, nothing with respect to the interests of the Haitian people for sustainable development, for health, for their right in terms of the ownership of the property. There's none of that. We obviously need to have an engagement with the private sector who have the skills and the technology to extract these minerals, but in such a way that the voices of the people are heard. That the environment is protected. That there's guarantees, financial guarantees, that if something happens these companies will be liable. They can't just jump off and go someplace else and leave some sort of a degradation.

But I think you are correct, with respect to, its been done its being done in difference places. And we have to look at those places. We have to look at folks who are friendlier to human development. I think that's what the White Book was called: "investment in humans and the environment." [Note: The actual book title is - Investir Dans L'Humain: Livre Blanc de Fanmi Lavalas sous la Direction de Jean-Bertrand Aristide]. And Cuba, Venezuela and these folks who seem to be interested in their human capital are good partners. And could be good partners for us at some point in time. Yes, I think that is something... 'Cause right now, there is a need, for instance, for fuel in order to run these mining companies. What are they using? And how are they using it? If we can leverage this into infrastructure for the larger surrounding community, then that would be good. Not just these companies come in, they build a dam that only they use for their extraction process and so forth and the community is left with no development. But if we can have an integrated holistic system where they come in and there is a development plan for sustainable development for sustainable economic jobs that are going to be beyond this arena - for water, clean water, for electricity. Something where we work in partnership is what I think the Haitian people want. It's what they need. It's not that they don't want to see foreign companies in Haiti, it's that they don't want the companies to manipulate, so that you know every time we take one step forward, they bring us three steps back with a coup d'etat, destroy all the work that was done that put in some protection for the people, and then go back to just their profits.

Chris Scott: We were speaking to Marguerite Laurent[/Ezili Dantò] with the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network in New York City I believe. Yes. That's correct. Is there anything else you'd want to add before we finish the interview Ms. Laurent?

Marguerite Laruent/Ezili Dantò: Yes, folks who are interested in really understanding the counter-colonial narrative, that's what we specialize in. And especially we want folks to know that Haiti has resources. That it's because of these resources that you have companies like Eurasian Minerals, St. Genevieve, Majescor... and you have the Ottawa Initiative that's basically is being played out today, where the Haitian President is like third or fourth in line in terms of who has anything to say anything about Haiti. Seems the first person in line these days is Ban Ki-moon and then Paul Collier and whoever comes in from the international community that somebody calls expert. And so we want Haiti's sovereignty back. We want Haitian resources to be used in such a way that it helps with long term Haitian development. And we want the folks to understand that there are five oil sites that have been documented with regards to Haiti. We want the folks to understand that there are reports from the UN that says that Haiti is littered with gold and copper and marble and limestone. And that there are various projects going on right now behind these UN guns. And nobody knows what is going on because there is no transparency. There is no representation for the Haitian people.

Chris Scott: Ok. Thank you very much. And we'll definitely be speaking to you about this sometime in the future. Thank you Ms. Laurent.

Marguerite Laurent/Ezili Dantò: Thank you very much.

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END OF INTERVIEW