January 1, 1804
Long Live the Haitian Revolution and Everything It Stands For!
Beginning
in 1791, the enslaved peoples of the French colony Saint-Domingue rose
up in organized resistance to overthrow both slavery and colonial rule.
The revolutionaries, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture and Jean-Jacques
Dessalines, fought off successive European powers -- the
French, Spanish and British -- to proudly establish their
independent republic, Haiti, on January 1, 1804.
This mighty feat dealt a severe blow to the French colonial empire and was an important contribution to all oppressed and enslaved peoples and their national liberation struggles in Latin America, the Caribbean and beyond. The Haitian Revolution was the first to define citizenship rights on a modern basis, namely that they belong to people by virtue of their being human as members of a body politic. This was a decisive break from the conception of rights of the colonial powers based on the ownership of property and a system of privileges. Haiti's outstanding achievement continues to have great relevance to this day for the peoples of the world as they fight for new arrangements that recognize rights on a modern basis.
The indomitable spirit of the Haitian revolutionaries lives on in their descendants and compatriots, many of whom live and work in Canada. By upholding the dignity of labour in this country, they make a contribution second to none.
The Haitian revolution's profound affirmation of rights and sovereignty continues to characterize the people's steadfast resistance to interference from foreign powers. From 1804 to the present, the colonial and imperial powers have worked non-stop to wreak vengeance on the Haitian people who continue to fight for peace, freedom and democracy without let-up.
In the recent period, the consequences of the 2004 military coup against the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, continue in the crises and corruption imposed on Haiti. Since the coup, ongoing foreign interference has not only blocked the people year after year from electing a government which defends their interests, but has deepened the crisis, year after year. Reactionary puppet governments brought in by corrupt elections or other illegitimate means, for which Canada and others must be held to account, have put the Haitian people in servitude to foreign and private interests. This situation has also made the Haitian people extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tropical storms, as well as disease.
All Out to Support the Haitian People to See that Justice Is Done!
Long Live the Haitian Revolution of 1804 and Everything It Stands For!
No to Foreign Interference in Haiti!
This article was published in
Volume 56 Number 1 - January 1, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560013.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca