BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan.14.2018 – The Caribbean Community has joined in the widespread international condemnation of United States President, Donald Trump for his alleged referral to Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries”. ,
A statement from the regional block said that the Caribbean Community “is deeply disturbed by reports about the use of derogatory and repulsive language by the President of the United States in respect of our Member State, Haiti, and other developing countries. CARICOM, condemns in the strongest terms, “the unenlightened views reportedly expressed.”
Trump, during a meeting at the White House with lawmakers while discussing immigration reform, reportedly questioned why should protection be included for people from Haiti and African nations – at which point he use the derogatory comment to describe those countries.
Instead, he stated that he would rather have more immigrants from places like Norway, officials with knowledge of the incident reported to US media.
The president later released a tweet noting that he never made such comments, but took a hard stance on immigration.
Thousands of Haitians have benefited from a temporary visa programme since a 2010 earthquake left the country in ruins. The US president has found a disliking for that initiative.
And CARICOM’s statement noted that of additional concern, is the pattern of denigrating Haiti and its citizens in what seems to be a concerted attempt to perpetuate a negative narrative of the country.
“We are especially saddened that such narrative emerged around the time of the anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake which took so many lives of citizens in that country.
“The Caribbean Community expresses its full support for the dignified statement of the Government of the Republic of Haiti in reaction to this highly offensive reference. It should be recalled that Haiti is the second democracy in the Western Hemisphere after the United States and that Haitians continue to contribute significantly in many spheres to the global community and particularly to the United States of America.”
Further, CARICOM noted that they view the statement as an insult to the character of the countries named and their citizens “as totally unacceptable.”
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