The IRI and the Destabilization of Aristide
Bush Administration, the IRI and the Destabilization of Aristide
The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a self-described “nonprofit, nonpartisan organization (that) advances freedom and democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, good governance and the rule of law” (“IRI”). Despite these noble purported purposes, the organization has earned the distinction of being a lethal Washington institution dedicated to nation undermining. This powerful, well-funded foreign policy arm of the ultra rightwing of the American Republican Party has been shown to be more concerned with hunting down leftists and crushing their causes than democracy building. The IRI maintains that their activities are centered on “party-building, media training, the organization of leadership trainings, the dissemination of newsletters and the strengthening of ‘civil society,’” (“The International Republican Institute”) however their true mission is to undermine liberal political movements and governments. One of the most fervent supporters of this cloak and dagger mission has been the Bush administration, as can be evidenced in the destabilization of Haiti’s former, democratically elected leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Typically, the IRI’s activities are rather discreet, the organization tending to keep a low-profile, preferring to operate behind the scenes with minimum publicity. However, in Haiti their efforts have led to a firestorm of media attention and criticism. “Accusations have circled widely that the IRI, with the backing of its Republican patrons in the upper echelons of the Bush State Department, openly funded, equipped and lobbied for the country’s two heavily conservative and White House-backed opposition parties, the Democratic Convergence and Group 184” (“The International Republican Institute”).
Group 184 was comprised of many of Haiti’s prominent business, church, and professional leaders and was a source of vocal and intransigent hostility to Aristide’s administration. Organized by the IRI’s Haiti program officer, Stanley Lucas, the Democratic Convergence was a merger of several anti-Aristide disparate groups. The group forewent the democratic process entirely by boycotting elections and organizing a seemingly endless series of provocative protests. Between the years of 2000 and 2002, the IRI supported Democratic Convergence rejected more than 20 internationally sanctioned power-sharing agreements, resulting only in increased tension and violence (“Did the Bush Administration”). Both the Democratic Convergence and Group 184, with encouragement from the IRI, stubbornly refused to come to any compromise with Aristide, despite many major concessions the former president had made. Instead a violent transfer of power occurred, in 2004, with an armed rebellion led by former military and paramilitary leaders sweeping through the country, all with the veiled support of the Bush administration of the supposedly non-violent political opposition parties (“The International Republican Institute”).
In this most recent Haiti operation, in 2004, the U.S. Treasury Undersecretary, John Taylor, noted that the United States would contribute $232 million and the Inter-American Development Bank would contribute $400 million. However, American federal funds had already been flowing into the country since the late 1990s. Through the IRI, $3 million had already been funneled into Haiti in an effort to destabilize Aristide, mostly funds from taxpayer money from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Harsh sanctions, coupled with the IRI’s training of Aristide’s political opponents and the rejection of internationally-sanctioned power sharing agreements, escalated the Haitian political crisis to the eventual political coup that occurred, all with the support of not only ultra-rightwing conservatives, but the Bush administration as well (“Did the Bush Administration”).
Following the violent coup, the Bush administration further demonstrated its support of the removal of Aristide, in its response.
They demanded that the democratic countries of the Caribbean desist in their call for an investigation regarding the ousting of Aristide. They called for the removal of the Aristide family from Jamaica, where they had fled, and out of the region completely.
And, requested that Caricom abandon their policy of only admitting democratically elected governments into their councils, since Haiti would no longer fit this description (Robinson). Clearly, the Bush administration not only participated, through its support of the IRI, the destabilization of Aristide, but also wanted to ensure that the former leader did not return a second time.
References
Did the Bush Administration Allow a Network of Right-Wing Republicans to Foment a Violent Coup in Haiti?” Africa Speaks. 20 July 2004. Democracynow.org. December 30, 2006 http://www.africaspeaks.com/haiti2004/2007.html.
The International Republican Institute: Promulgating Democracy of Another Variety.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs. 15 Jul 2004. Council on Hemispheric Affairs. December 30, 2006 http://www.coha.org/2004/07/15/the-international-republican-institute-promulgating-democracy-of-another-variety/.
IRI Home Page. 2005. International Republican Institute. December 30, 2006 http://www.iri.org/.
Robinson, Randall. “Bushwhacked in the Caribbean: America’s Contempt for the World.” Africa Speaks. 22 May 2004. Africa Speaks. December 30, 2006 http://www.africaspeaks.com/haiti2004/2205.html.