The Western media's reports of the invasion talk of Haiti "festering in America's backyard" and that the USA had "brought democracy" to Haiti. No mention is made of USA involvement in the country's dictatorships since 1849.
The USA historian, Amy Wilentz explains:
"[The invasion] achieves two strategic [American] goals - one, a restructured and dependent agriculture that exports to [USA] markets and is open to American exploitation, and the other, a displaced rural population that not only can be employed in offshore [USA] industries and towns, but is more susceptible to army control."
General Raoul Cedras is flown by the USA to exile. Several generals involved in torture and killing end up living in the USA. General Prosper Avril (tortured opponents and displayed the victims on television) retires to Florida. Colonel Carl Dorelian (responsible for the deaths of 5000 people and numerous kidnappings, rapes and torture) also retires to Florida. Emmanuel Constant (leader of a paramilitary group responsible for murders, torture, public beatings, arson raids, machete attacks) moves to New York; the USA government refuses to extradite Constant to Haiti.
While in Haiti, the USA military remove 160,000 documents, audio and video tapes. The USA refuses to return the material despite requests by the government of Haiti, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
