{ "id": "R42559", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42559", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 448441, "date": "2015-12-23", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:39:52.328070", "title": "Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns", "summary": "Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, Haiti has struggled to overcome its centuries-long legacy of authoritarianism, extreme poverty, and underdevelopment. Economic and social stability improved considerably, and many analysts believed Haiti was turning a corner toward sustainable development when it was set back by a massive earthquake in January 2010 that devastated much of the capital of Port-au-Prince. Although it is recovering, poverty remains massive and deep, and economic disparity is wide: Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.\nThroughout President Michel Martelly\u2019s five-year term, Haiti has found itself in a prolonged political crisis due to the government\u2019s failure to hold a series of elections that were long overdue. The government failed to hold elections by the end of 2012, leaving the Senate without one-third of its members. Thousands of Haitians took to the streets to protest the lack of elections. When the terms for another third of the Senate as well as the entire 99-seat Chamber of Deputies expired on January 12, the legislature was immediately dissolved, and Martelly began ruling by decree. A new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) organized legislative elections in August, which were marred by violence, and runoff legislative, presidential, and local elections in October 2015. Some presidential candidates have led protests alleging fraud but have failed to file legal complaints. Runoff presidential elections scheduled for December 27 have been postponed while an independent commission makes recommendations. No new date has been set.\nHaiti is a key foreign assistance priority for the Obama Administration in Latin American and the Caribbean. Haiti\u2019s developmental needs and priorities are many. The Haitian government and the international donor community are implementing a 10-year recovery plan focusing on territorial, economic, social, and institutional rebuilding. An outbreak of cholera in late 2010 has swept across most of the country and further complicated assistance efforts. Progress has been made in developing democratic institutions, although, as evident in the current crisis, they remain weak. \nThe United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been in Haiti to help restore order since 2004. The mission has helped facilitate elections, combated gangs and drug trafficking with the Haitian National Police, and responded to natural disasters. MINUSTAH has been criticized because of sexual abuse by some of its forces and scientific findings that its troops apparently introduced cholera to the country. The U.N. says it will not compensate cholera victims, citing diplomatic immunity. As of June 30, 2015, MINUSTAH had decreased its military troops from 5,021 to 2,338, leaving peacekeeping troops in only 4 of Haiti\u2019s 10 departments. The Haitian National Police had primary responsibility for election security.\nThe Dominican Republic ended its \u201cimmigrant regularization\u201d process in June 2015. Since then tens of thousands of Dominican-born people of Haitian descent have relocated to Haiti, some out of fear of or intimidation by Dominican communities or authorities, increasing bilateral tensions.\nThe main priorities for U.S. policy regarding Haiti are to strengthen fragile democratic processes, continue to improve security, and promote economic development. Other concerns include the cost and effectiveness of U.S. aid; protecting human rights; combating narcotics, arms, and human trafficking; and alleviating poverty. Congress shares these concerns. The immediate priorities are that free and fair elections be held as quickly as possible and a new administration takes office, with hopes that that will reduce political tensions and instability.\nCurrent legislation related to Haiti includes P.L. 114-113, P.L. 113-76, P.L. 113-162, P.L. 113-235, H.R. 52, H.R. 1295, H.R. 1891, H.Res. 25, S. 503, S. 1009, and S. 1267.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42559", "sha1": "378361ce46e677b357b98e2014ea0982262403c3", "filename": "files/20151223_R42559_378361ce46e677b357b98e2014ea0982262403c3.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42559", "sha1": "2c438f54f8296ca91cc68256d454eb8c35557ef8", "filename": "files/20151223_R42559_2c438f54f8296ca91cc68256d454eb8c35557ef8.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 281, "name": "Latin America and the Caribbean" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810707/", "id": "R42559_2014Dec11", "date": "2014-12-11", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20141211_R42559_f6605832eb7c761b4c8c5ac79171a10ca8e5a8f2.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20141211_R42559_f6605832eb7c761b4c8c5ac79171a10ca8e5a8f2.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc463339/", "id": "R42559_2013May10", "date": "2013-05-10", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns", "summary": "This report gives an overview of the current government in Haiti and status of recovery efforts following the 2010 earthquake. The main priorities for U.S. policy regarding Haiti are to strengthen fragile democratic processes, continue to improve security, and promote economic development. Other concerns include the cost and effectiveness of U.S. aid; protecting human rights; combating narcotics, arms, and human trafficking; and alleviating poverty.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130510_R42559_46be7b73c1c067c5513b9f974ac30860ce5281ef.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130510_R42559_46be7b73c1c067c5513b9f974ac30860ce5281ef.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc98022/", "id": "R42559_2012Jun25", "date": "2012-06-25", "retrieved": "2012-08-21T08:46:06", "title": "Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns", "summary": "This report gives an overview of the current government in Haiti and status of recovery efforts following the 2010 earthquake. The Haitian government and the international donor community are implementing a 10-year recovery plan focusing on territorial, economic, social, and institutional rebuilding. The main priorities for U.S. policy regarding Haiti are to strengthen fragile democratic processes, continue to improve security, and promote economic development. Other concerns include the cost and effectiveness of U.S. aid; protecting human rights; combating narcotics, arms, and human trafficking; and alleviating poverty. Congressional concerns include the pace and effectiveness of reconstruction; respect for human rights, particularly for women; counternarcotics efforts; and security issues.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120625_R42559_1246cd455c347dec7e95c97baa6080f4cf67f48b.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120625_R42559_1246cd455c347dec7e95c97baa6080f4cf67f48b.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc93934/", "id": "R42559_2012Jun06", "date": "2012-06-06", "retrieved": "2012-07-24T12:39:36", "title": "Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns", "summary": "This report gives an overview of the current government in Haiti and status of recovery efforts following the 2010 earthquake. The Haitian government and the international donor community are implementing a 10-year recovery plan focusing on territorial, economic, social, and institutional rebuilding. The main priorities for U.S. policy regarding Haiti are to strengthen fragile democratic processes, continue to improve security, and promote economic development. Other concerns include the cost and effectiveness of U.S. aid; protecting human rights; combating narcotics, arms, and human trafficking; and alleviating poverty. Congressional concerns include the pace and effectiveness of reconstruction; respect for human rights, particularly for women; counternarcotics efforts; and security issues.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120606_R42559_6b357eab30a2d995fea8283c00afd0a2aca55048.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120606_R42559_6b357eab30a2d995fea8283c00afd0a2aca55048.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Haiti -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "Immigration Policy", "Latin American Affairs" ] }