SURVEY OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS/NEED FOR SWEEPING REFORMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200430003-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: January 22, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

r 7j. AU,11111
Approved For Release 2003/08/06 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000200430003-8
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL _
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 25
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Haiti
SUBJECT Survey of Political.and Economic Conditions/
PLACE
ACQUIRED
Need for Sweeping Reforms
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DATE
ACQUIRE 9
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS OOCNYINT CONTAINS INIOIYATION AI/ICI'IOS TN[ N?TI ONAL 0[1[NS[
0 1 TN[ O M I T L O S T A T [ S , N I 1 0 1 1 TWO Y[AN I 0 1 O I TIT[[ II, Sl CT 10X1 I..
ANO 760, Of TNl Y.S. CEO[, AN AY[NOE0. ITS TI ANSYISSION ON RIVE.
RATION 01 ITS COYTENTS To 01 ASCII T by AN ONAUTN01IIS0 011111 II
^I0NI1ITi0 IV LAW. T41 k9 PRODUCTION or THIS 1000 I1 IIONINITIO.
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`~ 1.
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NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
There is 'at,.?$7 a great feeling of dissatisfaction and unrest in Haiti,
with Magloire's Government held entirely responsible by the ,people. Unless
drastic reforms are quickly instituted, there is'every 'indication that a
revolution will occur within the next six months, or within a year at the
outside. The general reeling among Haitians is that Magloire's Government
is,doing nothing to advance the people's economgc, nor is it cognizant of or
interested in their problems. The government is rife with graft; in fact,
the entire regime has broken down into communal rule, with regional leaders
dictating to their responsible areas as they see fit, and buying favors
from the government to suit their individual purposes.
2. For example, nation-wide land reforms are initiated.. nt
by be government, but
are then ignored in most of the districts by the individual leaders who
refuse, for personal reasons, to observe the l.aw, and who then gain release
from having'to do so through graft. As a result, agr'icult el advanceit
is sadly retarded; natives work hard and raise their crops and are paid
accordingly only six months out of the year, and live on credit the balance
of the t'`the. No new crops are introduced as they could well be, and the
country's economy continues to suffer.
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4. If-the government requires additional money, it boks immediately to the
merchant and the businessman. This is accomplished by the government's
public accountants who demand. to see the businessman's books at any time
during the year; any error found in bookkeeping is fined from three to ten
times the amount of the error. Another method of obtaining funds from the
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CONFIDENTI L
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businessman is to ask for donations to a civil or communal cause;
if the donation is refused, the man is fined twice the original
request on some trumped-up charge. Needless to say, the money so
received never goes to the intended cause, but is dissipated among
many hands, and disappears. The Chamber of Commerce is powerless
to represent the businessman in such unfair practices, for it is
completely dominated by the government.
5. Recent funds were allocated to al to rebuild
25X1 Haitits sadly neglected roads. Again, the people fee at these 10
or 12 million dollars will be so badly handled, through graft, that
the intended reconstruction program will result in possibly 10 per
cent of the total estimated work.
The only person in Government championing the peoplex s oause in Haiti
is DamielF.ign.ole, a De ut from Port-au-
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PraLnce, who is. fully, aware of the needs for national, reforms and a
1 ular among the
critical of another government if it dial not see ngs -
rt~,
Although election=s are supposedly free, nobody really feels that they
are conducted in a fair manner. As a result, the better educated
peopley the merchants and businessmen of Haiti. do not even bother to
vote in elections, since they feel the military control the end
re,stxltr. This. i's, another -indication. of tevo .u ion as the only remedy
betterment of national economy. He is extreme y.por
people of Port-au-prince but it is said that he might be equally
thi h's waw
'rC5 're . orml*
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e.stiTs x4ted that there are no more than five 11=area pariy memoers
ronmiunism has been virtually wiped out. of Haiti today, and 4:t is
have become disillusioned with past Communist leaders, who have pro-
..
.. .ised them the moon, and after ' being^ siupported,. have absconded with
the funds,. The nationalistic movement in Iran, however, has been
.,followed. with great interest; the feeling am=ong the people is that
any coming revolution would go hand in hand with the exiling of all
foreign influence,, short of U$ assistance.
In. thO.t respect,, the thinking people - of :Haiti generally feel-that it
.would be ,a great mistake for the US. Government to give financi=al aid
to the Haitian Government -without personally administering to its
distribution..
in fact, the
a=verage Haitian would welcome the return of US occupation forges as it
fozmer_ly existed..
Finally, there is a desperate need-for a better educational system in
Haiti today, Only those who can afford it, receive, a formal education,
and. 70.per cent of the children go completely uneducated. In Cap Haitien,
the second largest,.c ty,.there is only one private school. Rural schools
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aie only open when weather permits; transportatiori is-usually U pos-'
sible, the schools themselves are falling apart, and only 'open subject
to the whims of the teachers, who continue to draw pay regardless of
their presence. This lack of educational facilities, together with
the' burden of taxation, has ? talten the desire for advancement out 'of
the hearts of the young Haitians. Even those gho; can afford it,
graduate only to earn jobs that will supply them with sufficient
funds for amusement and entertainment. Doctors' sons no longer
follow their fathers' professions, nor do lawyers' evne or other
pro'eesional people.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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