How can France Honor its Debt to Haiti?
How can France Honor its Debt to Haiti? Patrick Prézeau Stephenson et al., Collectif du Manifeste L'Appel du Lambi. September 2023 The ransom demanded by France following the Haitian revolution of 1804, which resulted in Haiti's independence, has weighed heavily on the shoulders of the young Haitian nation for two centuries. The exorbitant sum of 150 million gold francs (300% of its GDP), equivalent to about $30 billion in 2000 and more than $80 billion in 2023, has been a crushing economic burden. This article explores how France can begin a new era of cooperation with Haiti by honoring its historic debt. The Recognition of the "Ransom of Independence" In 2015, former French President François Hollande recognized these payments as the "ransom of independence." However, this recognition has not been followed by tangible actions to repay this historic debt. The French government of the time quickly reclassified this debt as moral rather tha...