Haiti: Where the Descendants of Slaves Paid the Descendants of Slaveholders : Mark Green / Wilson Center

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Summary
Haiti, one of the world's poorest countries, was forced to pay France a massive debt after achieving independence. This debt crippled the country's development and left it vulnerable to further exploitation. The article argues that this historical injustice is a significant factor in Haiti's current problems.

Author
Ambassador Mark A. Green is President and CEO of the Wilson International Center for Scholars and a former US Ambassador to Tanzania, and a former executive director of USAID,

Quote
"In order to be able to comply with its debt terms, the Haitian government took out high interest loans from a range of banks in France, but also banks in the US and other parts of Europe. This created a double debt: the original debt owed to France, and a growing debt owed to foreign lenders."