Former Haitian Primer Minister Gerard Latortue stops demanding reparations from France
On this day in Caribbean history, former Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue stopped demanding reparations from France. Latortue discontinued a demand, the payment of $21 billion paid to Haiti from France, which was established by former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in an attempt to form better relations with the country’s former colonizer.
“What we need now is increased cooperation with France that could help us build roads, hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure.” Prime Minister Latortue believed the deal to have been forged solely for political reasons not meant for the betterment of the country.
The amount was the total requested from the country as a return of the sum Haiti paid to France when slaveholders demanded compensation for the loss of “property” following the emancipation of slavery.
