Hindsight: Haitians on the 2004 ouster of Aristide
This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the coup that ousted Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The coup, which some anti-Aristide forces refer to as a “rebellion,” occurred over a three week period in 2004, culminating on February 29th with Aristide’s departure from the island on a U.S. plane. Aristide accused the U.S. government of playing a role in his ouster and described the circumstances of his physical removal from Haitian soil as involuntary. He was flown first to the Central African Republic, then on to South Africa where he lived in exile until he returned to Haiti in March of 2011.
The ouster of the democratically-elected president set off a series of protests and triggered political instability in the island nation. In the immediate aftermath of the coup, FSRN’s then-anchor Deepa Fernandes traveled to Haiti for an on-the-ground perspective. She filed this report with Kody Emmanuel ten years ago today:
(Photo: Aristide supporters carry pictures bearing the former president’s nickname – TITID – and “We are waiting for you” in Kreyol. Credit: Ben Piven via Flickr photostream. Licensed under Creative Commons.)
