Germany

A delegation from Haiti's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries represented the tourism products of the country under the leadership of Minister Stephanie Villedrouin at ITB Berlin 2015 between March 4 to 8, 2015. The ITB (short for Internationale Tourismus Börse, started in 1966) is the world's largest travel trade show where every year, over 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries present dream destinations around the world - from Zimbabwe to Albania. It covers all aspects of travel and tourism: countries, airlines, hotels, tour operators, booking system, and other businesses. They not only promote themselves but at the same time, inspire wanderlust. Haitian team was represented by 4 artisans and 2 tourism companies, who were immensely benefited through interaction with their foreign counterparts. The European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) also supports similar efforts through Caribbean Export within the framework of the Haiti/Dominican Republic Binational Program.

Permalink | Comments

Here is a picture of US Marines boarding the U.S.C Connecticut july 1915 as they are heading to Haiti

In the beginning, following the assassination of Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, a Pro-U.S Haitian President, the U.S President Woodrow Wilson sent a first team of U.S Marines into Haiti on July 28, 1915. They were sent to restore order and maintain political and economic stability in the country. However, in the wake of the First World War, the President Wilson at the same time also wanted to establish U.S dominance in the region by keeping the German settlers away from Haiti. Because, the peasant guerrillas (cocos) from the northern Haiti were heavily burdened with German loans and they wanted the Germans to invade and restore order in the country.

Thus the 19- year U.S. occupation in Haiti began with the landing of 3,000 Marines at Port-au-Prince under the leadership of Admiral William B. Caperton and that continued until 1935. However, prior to that in December 1914, in the fear of foreign intervention, Wilson administration sent U.S. Marines to Haiti who removed $500,000 from the Haitian National Bank for safe keeping in New York.

Permalink | Comments

Presidential palace of President Villbrum Guilluiame Sam who was assassinated

At the beginning of the 20th century, United States became increasingly concerned with the level of German activity and influence in Haiti. German businesses in Haiti dominated commerce in the entire area.

German nationals controlled over 80 percent of Haiti international commerce. They owned utilities in Cap Haitien and Port-au-Prince, wharf, railroad serving the Plain of the Cul-de-Sac. To get around Haitian law that forbid foreigners from owning land in Haiti, German men were increasingly marrying Haitian women and open businesses.

Although the sphere of U.S influence in the Caribbean started in 1898, in 1915, during the First World War, the U.S President Woodrow Wilson feared that Germany could invade Haiti and establish a military base near the Panama Canal that was built with huge U.S investment. The U.S President had right reasons to worry because then there were many Germans settlers living in Haiti who had financed the rampaging cacos with loans which were almost impossible to be repaid and they were at the mercy of the Germans to invade and restore order.

Permalink | Comments

Following the successful manipulation of German nationals to go around Haiti law to own land

As Germany was rising in power in the late nineteenth century, the Germans had their eyes on Haiti. They began an aggressive campaign dominate commerce in Haiti. One of the major German firms was The Hamburg-Amerika Ligne. In addition, the Germans were interested in the area of banking and agriculture

The German community proved more willing to integrate into Haitian society than any other group of white foreigners, including the more numerous French. Some Germans married into the nation's most prominent mulatto families, thus bypassing the constitutional prohibition against foreign land-ownership. They retained strong ties back to their homeland and often to German military and intelligence networks in Haiti, and also served as the principal financiers of the nation's innumerable revolutions, floating loans at high interest rates to competing political factions.[4] Because of this, they posed an economic threat to American monetary interests and made American political and military leadership fear they were acting as a stalking horse for the imperial government in Berlin

Following the successful manipulation of the 1915 elections, the Wilson administration attempted to strong-arm the Haitian legislature into adopting a new constitution in 1917. This constitution allowed foreign land ownership, which had been outlawed since the Haitian Revolution as a way to prevent foreign control of the country. Extremely reluctant to change the long-standing law, the legislature rejected the new constitution. Law-makers began drafting a new anti-American constitution, but the United States forced President Dartiguenave dissolve the legislature, which did not meet again until 1929.

Permalink | Comments

Here is a picture of President Michel Martelly and his wife Sophia Martelly as they arrive in Germany.

Martelly Discussions in Germany on Haiti Elections and Investment Opportunities

President Martelly was received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to talk about stalled legislative and local elections in Haiti. Martelly held opposition party members and defiant senators responsible for the delay. Merkel said she hoped elections would happen soon.

Martelly also met with Hugo Kramer, Chairman of Chambers of Commerce and Industry to promote investment opportunities in Haiti's tourism, infrastructure, and agriculture sectors. Kramer said a delegation would visit Port-au-Prince next year to examine investment possibilities.

Permalink | Comments

Here is the President of the Republic, Michel Martelly as he was in Germany on October 29, 2014. He was hosted during his visit by German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel

Germany Shows Investment Interest in Haiti

President Martelly made a state visit to the House of German Economy for a working lunch. He was accompanied by Minister of Trade and Industry, Wilson Laleau, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Duly Brutus.

He promoted the investment opportunities in the Haitian sectors of tourism, infrastructure, and agriculture to German entrepreneurs gathered.

President Hugo Kramer of the German Chambers of Commerce vowed he would send a delegation in 2015 to Haiti to investigate investment opportunities.

Permalink | Comments

Here is a picture of the Haitian Flag flying in Germany on October 29, 2014 side by side with the Germain flag. This took place during a visit of President Michel Martelly to Germany.

Today, we can all be proud of this. As you can see, the Haitian Flag flying very high there. This is of historical proportion. The Haitian Flag has not always been given this high respect by some Germans. We need to go back in history to December 6, 1897 and read Luders Affair to understand the issue between Haiti And Germany.

Germany bullied the tiny island of Haiti in 1897 in an incident called the Luders Affair, which began when Germany became insulted by Haiti pledging its allegiance to Germany's enemy in the French-Prussian war. Germany began its campaign of humiliation by coercing Haiti to start repaying its debts to German merchants, easily accomplished since Germany held Haitian warships hostage until Haiti's debts were cleared. When the Germans finally returned the warships they had desecrated the Haitian flags with feces.

But the Germans weren't done punishing Haiti yet. A Haitian-German, Emil Luders, was arrested on Haitian soil and convicted, sentenced to 30 days in jail for assault and battery on a Haitian soldier. Luder appealed his conviction and his sentence was extended a year beginning October 14, 1897. Infuriating Germany's Charge d'Affaires, Count Schwerin, he ordered Luders be released immediately, also demanding President Simon Sam pardon Luders.

It got worse for Haiti. Two of Germany's warships, the Charlotte and the Stein, sailed into Port-au-Prince harbor, demanded a 21-gun salute without giving one in return, and extracted $20,000 in ransom money for Luders, and a vow he be allowed to return home. Schwerin also wanted an official letter of apology from the Haitian government. If these conditions were not fulfilled within four hours the German warships would bomb the harbor. The Haitian government had no time to seek foreign aid, so it was forced to fly a white flag at half-mast to indicate its compliance with Germany's demands

Read Luders Affair here:
haitiobserver.com

Permalink | Comments

Henri Françillon was born on May 26, 1946. He was a soccer player who was part of the Haitian team at the World Cup in Germany in 1974. Henri Françillon played as a goalkeeper. He played for the Haitian Victory Sportif Club and was the only player from the team who came from Victory club the other players came mainly from Racing Club, Aigle Noir and Violette Athletic Club.

Permalink | Comments

The 1915 U.S. Occupation of Haiti started when militias, known as cacos, staged turf wars to seize power on the island. German immigrants had funded the cacos and now urged Germany to come and establish peace.

Germany threatened U.S. interests. In the summer of 1915, U.S. Occupation forces arrived and stayed until 1934.

U.S. improved Haiti's infrastructure, but Haitians resented the Occupation. Finally the Great Depression forced U.S. citizens to demand its government leave to save money.

Permalink | Comments

Haiti was failing as a country in 1915. Cacoists' militias were waging war in the streets, financed by German immigrants. News Germany might invade the island reached the U.S., and to prevent that, American warships invaded first, stopping anti-American cacoist leader, Rosalvo Bobo.

Until 1934 the U.S. ran the island with Haitian figurehead rulers. Haitians grew to resent the Occupation; they wanted Bobo in power.

Eventually due to the Great Depression in America, U.S. troops withdrew.

Permalink | Comments