The Haitian diaspora in Quebec is still in shock over the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which took place on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.
• Read also: Haiti is preparing for the worst
• Read also: Haiti: Martine Moyes, widow of the assassinated president, wants to continue her husband’s “battle”
According to some, the hope for a better future in Haiti requires the mass return of many of the people who left the country in order to bring back a certain set of experiences and rebuild the country.
“Once there’s security, I’m ready to go,” the Haitian native said in an interview with TVA Novels on Saturday afternoon.
However, this is not a viable solution, according to Frédéric Boasronde, a sociologist of Haitian descent.
“All diaspora, regardless of society, is something that interests them, but it does not come true,” Boisrund explained on Saturday to TVA Nouvelles.
“Yes, there may be people who have some experience, but that is not the answer,” he continued. We still have to respect those who chose to stay and have something to make as a contribution to the country.”
More than two billion dollars sent by expats
The Haitian diaspora forms a large community all over the world. Every year, Haitians abroad send about $2 billion to their loved ones at the Pearl of the Antilles to enable them to eat. If this money helps people in their daily lives, it does not change the infrastructure of the country.
“Sending money to Haiti is something that helps our families. It’s not something that helps the country, it helps organize basic services. It’s something that just helps feed people, it’s like a kind of special social assistance that we provide with our families,” Boisrond said.
However, he denied that the expatriates are required to send money to their relatives in Haiti. “I’m certainly not going to tell people to stop giving their families a chance to survive, but I’m just saying that when you look at it from the perspective of social analysis, it doesn’t get people out of the way. Misery. On the contrary, it keeps them in misery, because it doesn’t There is an organized solution.
It’s kind of a vicious circle, according to Mr. Boisrund. There are no basic services in the country. Even at the food level, people buy foreign products, so at the same time, the money goes back to where it came from. I understand people’s need to feed their families, but that’s not what changes anything in the country.
Remittances to Haiti have increased significantly since the beginning of the pandemic and are expected to continue to increase during this political crisis that is shaking the country.
