In the past several weeks, I have watched dozens of sleek U.S. military planes descend over Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where I live. They were the first flights to land since gangs blockaded and halted commercial air traffic in March. U.S. news reports suggest that the aircraft contained civilian contractors and supplies to pave the way for the deployment of a Kenyan-led security mission to Haiti, which is expected to begin any day now.
But no one has informed Haitians who or what was on board. Even the members of Haiti’s new transitional government told me that they did not know precisely what the United States was flying into the country. Although the Haitian members of the presidential council have met with Kenyan and Haitian officials to discuss the force, they said they have not provided input to U.S. officials. Aides to newly installed Prime Minister Garry Conille confirmed that he has had no say on decisions related to the mission. It remains unclear what the force’s specific goals are or how it can contribute to rebuilding the Haitian state.
Haiti needs some American Freedom…
America’s been imposing its ideas of freedom on Haiti for almost 200 years now. It never goes well for the Haitians.
That’s the price of the American Freedom…
Didn’t know Haiti had oil.
Indeed, Haiti is believed to have significant oil reserves. Recent findings suggest that these reserves could be even larger than those of Venezuela! The estimated untapped reserves include up to 941 million barrels of crude oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas¹². Areas thought to be rich in oil include the Central Plateau, the bay of Port-au-Prince, Thomond, and the Cul-de-sac plain. Scientists attribute this potential to the tectonic activity where plates meet in the ocean, often harboring substantial hydrocarbon deposits ready for exploitation¹. While Haiti has not yet fully tapped into its oil resources, the discovery holds promise for the nation’s economy and the well-being of its population¹. Interestingly, the Oil Trade Journal of 1919 even hints at earlier oil seepages in Haiti, coupled with natural gas seepages that amazed local natives¹. So, yes, Haiti does indeed have oil potential! 🛢️💡🌎
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 6/21/2024 (1) What Are The Major Natural Resources Of Haiti? - WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-major-natural-resources-of-haiti.html. (2) Haiti has trillions of dollars’ worth of natural gas - TFIGlobal. https://tfiglobalnews.com/2022/11/02/haiti-has-trillions-of-dollars-worth-of-natural-gas-but-the-west-doesnt-allow-it-to-prosper/. (3) Energy profile: Haiti - Global Energy Monitor. https://www.gem.wiki/Energy_profile:_Haiti. (4) Haiti Oil reserves - data, chart | TheGlobalEconomy.com. https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/haiti/oil_reserves/. (5) List of countries by proven oil reserves - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves.