Haitian man with fist up in a march

For Peace in the Americas, We Must Center Haiti

Adapted from remarks given by Austin Cole, Interim Co-Coordinator of Black Alliance for Peace’s Haiti and the Americas Team, as part of “America v. CELAC: Whither the Monroe Doctrine at 200?” hosted by the International Manifesto Group. As the crisis of imperialism in Haiti continues and US-led ‘Western’ nations debate how best to sell an escalated military invasion, it is imperative that we continue to say No to Military Intervention in Haiti. Yes to Haitian Self-Determination. But this is the bare minimum, we must also understand and center the critical role that Haiti plays in the Western Hemisphere – particularly . . .

Cartoon depicting the Monroe Doctrine - the US empire's claim to hegemony in the Western hemisphere which declares that Central and South America and the Caribbean are its “front yard”

The Empire’s “Front Yard” and the Monroe Doctrine

We used to talk about, when I was a kid in college, about “America’s backyard.”  It’s not America’s backyard.  Everything south of the Mexican border is America’s front yard.  And we’re equal people.  We don’t dictate what happens in any other part of that — of this continent or the South American continent.  We have to work very hard on it. But the trouble is: we’re having great difficulty making up for the mistakes that were made the last four years, and it’s going to take some time. Remarks by President Biden in Press Conference JANUARY 19, 2022 The claims . . .