30764: Batay Ouvriye (Article) - The "HOPE" Act (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Batay Ouvriye (batay@batayouvriye.org)

POLITICAL BULLETIN Vol. II, Nº. 2
The “HOPE” Act
June 2007

On all radio stations, in all the newspapers, on all TV channels, and in the 
context of the “development” that the imperialists, the bourgeoisie and their 
reactionary state have in store for the Haitian workers, the latest word is 
“HOPE” (Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement) Act 
of 2006, which we hear mentioned all the time.
On 16 December 2006, U.S. Congress finally voted into law the “HOPE” Act, 
designed to regulate some of the commercial exchange between Haiti and the 
United States. This law opens the doors for the two countries to be able to 
realize “free” commercial exchange without any import tariffs or duties, or any 
obstacle to the free circulation of goods. The goods that the Act refers to are 
mainly textile products from the maquiladoras (Note: a maquiladora is a 
factory/assembly plant that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and 
tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then re-exports the 
assembled product, usually back to the originating country). Prime Minister 
Jacques Alexis has recently completed a trip to Washington to work out the 
details of the implementation of the new law.
What most people don’t know about, are the various compromises and concessions 
made by the Haitian government. First, the government gave up all rights of 
control over North American products imported into the country, that is, what 
they are and which ones will be allowed in or not. Nor can the government place 
any demand on multinational capital, such as control over the prices of goods 
being sold in the country. Therefore, the Minister of Commerce and Industry has 
no control over any prices. Finally, the government agreed to actively pursue 
the privatization of public services.

“HOPE”: A BACKGROUND HISTORY
Since the 70’s, under Jean-Claude Duvalier’s dictatorship, the duvalierist 
bureaucratic bourgeoisie already harbored the intention of selling Haitian 
cheap labor within the context of an agreement for the opening of the first 
Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Haiti. That was in 1972. We must remember that the 
Duvaliers already were selling Haitian workers to Dominican capitalists to be 
mercilessly exploited as braceros on the sugar cane fields. But, in order to 
establish the free trade zones as the new type of “development”, in the context 
of the competition with other dependent countries of the region, it was 
necessary to “liberate” the Haitian labor force even more. On the one hand, 
they exterminated the native black pigs (this occurred under Jean-Claude 
Duvalier), a vital source of livelihood for the small peasants, then they 
destroy the sugar cane culture (under the CNG – National Governing Council), 
they even succeeded in eradicating the rice production (since the Bazin 
government), while the rest of the agricultural production was steadily 
deteriorating, causing a real migratory hemorrhage and a systematic 
pauperization that created a vast pool of available cheap labor. On the other 
hand, the existing corruption and the dictatorial presidency-for-life acted as 
obstacles to the free circulation of capital. Once this situation was overcome, 
they tried to implement a new law, the HERO (Haitian Economic Recovery 
Opportunity) Act. It failed. However, the political situation evolved. There 
was a proliferation of banks in the country that work to facilitate capital 
concentration and circulation. Faced with the total incompetence of the ruling 
classes, and of the reactionary state in particular, the imperialists opted for 
the direct intervention. Today, with the occupation, the situation is much more 
under their control and the conditions have maximized for the total plunder of 
the land, henceforth, the “HOPE” Law.
As we can see, “HOPE” is a result, a culmination. It is the historical result 
of the destruction of the country since Duvalier, through the various 
governments that succeeded it, until Aristide who was the one who ratified the 
process of national disintegration when he signed the Monterrey accord in favor 
of the establishment of eighteen FTZs, and discreetly inaugurated the 
construction of the first one in 2002. “HOPE” is also the result of the 
impoverishment and constant devalorization of the labor power, not only thru 
the starvation wages, not only thru the permanent repression to stop the 
workers from organizing to defend their interests, including wage increases, 
but also by allowing the generalization of misery that comes with the general 
increase in prices, while the government does nothing, and the “gourde” 
(Haiti’s monetary unit) keeps devaluating to such a point that wages paid in 
dollars are worth less and less gourdes. This sinister situation went thru 
different stages until the imperialists, the bourgeoisie, and their reactionary 
state realized that they could advance in their plans thru the implementation 
of a law that would allow them to realize enormous benefits thru the 
exploitation of that cheap labor, in the context of what is cynically called 
“comparative advantages”.

INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT OF THE ADOPTION OF “HOPE”: RELATIONS WITH THE DOMINICAN 
REPUBLIC
The first element we must take into account is that “HOPE” comes with a series 
of other laws. In particular, one that links the Dominican Republic with five 
other Central American countries (Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panamá and El 
Salvador), the CAFTA-DR (Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade 
Agreement) where similar conditions are being developed for the unbridled 
exploitation of the workers in these countries, without any benefits for their 
economy in general, except a few crumbs for the bourgeoisie of the maquiladora 
industry, to encourage them not to invest in any other economic activities and 
to confine themselves solely to the maquiladoras.
There is, specifically, one aspect of this CAFTA-DR agreement that concerns us, 
in as much as the law indicates: anything that is produced in Haiti by 
Dominican capitalists and that can be exported to the United States will also 
benefit from this agreement. This explains their tremendous interests in 
investing in our country. This explains their interest in resolving the Haitian 
crisis, and their proposition that they themselves can take matters into their 
own hands and make the necessary rectifications to help move forward this 
“human conglomerate” (a human herd, that’s what they call the Haitian society). 
Therefore, and in support of their interests, not only are they paying four 
times less for labor than they would in their country, but in many cases the 
representatives of the Haitian bourgeoisie, along with their reactionary state, 
offer them a guarantee of better profits than in their own country! One 
particular case comes to mind: in Fort-Liberté a demand was brought before the 
tribunal (when the Dominican army intervened in the FTZ of Ouanaminthe to 
physically assault the Haitian workers and a pregnant woman was dragged thru 
the mud right in front of everybody!) and it was so clear that the judge had to 
grant the protesting workers’ demand for reparations and sanctions against the 
head security of the Grupo M, an ex-colonel of the Dominican army. However, the 
Justice Minister from Port-au-Prince, on orders from the Minister of Commerce 
and Industry, sent a letter of reprimand to the judge saying that if he went 
ahead with the verdict, “it would scare away the investors”!! As can be seen, 
“HOPE” came to reinforce the advantages that these investors are getting. This 
is occurring at a time when the overall penetration of Dominican capital is 
increasing more and more. In fact, they are engaged in a process of annexation 
of the Northeastern part of the country. And it is in the context of this 
penetration-annexation that “HOPE” will be implemented.
The Dominican bourgeoisie had already manifested its interest in investing in 
our country, specially in the maquiladoras (assembly plants). This explains the 
presence, for example, of the Grupo M and three Wilbes plants operating in 
Haiti, while their board of directors are in Dominican Republic. Quite a few 
more want to establish themselves here also. At the time, they were trying to 
resolve the quota issue. But, for them, this is not enough. They need more. 
That’s why we say that the resurgence of “HOPE” is neither casual nor isolated.

“HOPE”: IN THE PRESS
Many articles have appeared in the written press, criticizing this plan. These 
analyses have pointed out that the government’s attitude is one of total 
surrender; also adding that it is not possible for a government to compromise 
the economy by making it so completely dependent on the maquiladoras industry 
and without, at the same time, offering any alternatives besides the FTZs. They 
have pointed out that, in general, such an economy cannot bring any positive 
contribution to national development, and even less so, to the integral 
development of the country, given the total absence of policies and measures to 
revitalize the national economy or to export prime material manufactured in the 
country. These FTZs will be nothing but enclaves. In fact, they are a real 
“sword of Damocles”, that is, an enormous threat to national development since 
the major part of the country’s economy will increasingly depend solely and 
totally on the multinationals.

“HOPE”: TOTAL EXPLOITATION AND MISERY
As mentioned earlier, the logic of the multinationals is the permanent quest 
for more advantageous conditions for themselves only. Therefore, they always 
move their operations somewhere else in accordance with the advantages given 
them (they even use this as a form of pressure); hence, the danger not only to 
the country’s economy (which is always under this kind of pressure/blackmail), 
but also to the workers’ livelihood because, as has happened in the past, the 
only place where the bourgeoisie is going to transfer this pressure is on the 
workers’ wages; specially in a country like ours, so bankrupt and with so 
incompetent a government, this is the only way to remain “competitive”. In 
their own words: “Haiti’s comparative advantage is its cheap labor, which 
cannot be competed with anywhere else!!” Therefore, as logic would indicate, 
for such “advantage” to always remain an “advantage”, strong repression must be 
exerted against the unions and a state of general misery maintained so that, on 
one hand, there always be workers in the FTZs willing to accept starvation 
wages and, on the other, in order to remain “competitive” (i.e., as low as 
possible), the price of the labor power remain cheaper and cheaper.  Thus, in 
the logic of capitalist competitiveness, the poverty of the Haitian people is 
the bourgeoisie’s advantage, and this is THE MAIN PARAMETER FOR THE APPLICATION 
AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “HOPE” LAW.
When we reflect upon all this, we can draw the necessary lessons from the 
experience of the establishment of the maquiladora industry in our country. The 
implementation of “HOPE” will have a similar effect. First, it will provoke a 
mass exodus to the FTZs where the new plants will be installed. And these new 
factories will do nothing to decrease the general state of poverty in those 
regions. They will serve as the basis for the formation of new “shantytowns” 
with all its consequences (including, the possibility of a resurgence of 
populism, violence and insecurity). Furthermore, this will also provoke another 
catastrophe: most of the migrants will come from the countryside, which means a 
further degradation of agricultural production and an increase in dependency. 
Already, there exists massive migration to the Dominican Republic. The damage 
to our economy will be even worse because the exodus will continue unabated.
A quick look at this so-called “comparative advantage” and its attendant 
starvation wages will suffice to convince anyone that what’s really taking 
place is nothing but pure and ruthless exploitation. In order to maintain and 
increase their profits, the factory owners have to keep the wages at the lowest 
possible level. From what the workers produce, only a tiny part will revert 
back to them, while more and more surplus value will be squeezed out of from 
them. All this is done, in order to maintain competitiveness so characteristic 
of the capitalist system where the big capitalists/imperialists always get the 
upper hand.

“HOPE” WILL BE APPLIED IN A CONTEXT OF TOTAL IMPUNITY AND ILLEGALITY ON THE 
PART OF THE BOURGEOISIE AND ITS STATE
“HOPE” is integrated in the context of the total impunity granted to the 
country’s big bourgeoisie. Recently, whether in the Brasserie La Couronne, or 
in the Brasserie Larco, whether in the Northern branch of the  Brasserie 
Nationale, or in Wilbes, every time the workers succeeded in setting a union, 
the directors of these plants either fired the most militant workers or fired 
all the workers who joined the union, as happened at the Northern branch of 
Brasserie Nationale. Leaving the workers without any recourse and with no 
compensation, even though from the Ministry of Social Affairs inspectors 
clearly recognized the arbitrary and illegal nature of these dismissals. It is 
within this context of the bourgeoisie’s total impunity that the implementation 
of “HOPE” will take place.
Added to this, the illegal character of the state’s behavior. Article 137 of 
the Labor Code recommends an adjustment to the minimum salary every time the 
cost of living index registers an increase of more than 10%. This article from 
a repressive Code dating back to the Duvalier period - which Code has not been 
touched since, even though the succeeding “democratic” administrations have 
changed many laws – was designed as an attempt to circumscribe any salary 
adjustment since at that time inflation was not increasing by more than 10% 
(i.e., if the increase was 7, 8 or even 9%, there was no salary adjustment). 
Today, despite the fact that prices keep rising and the annual inflation rate 
increase has reached the 20, 30, 50 or even 100% mark, the state still has not 
implemented the provisions of that article of the Code. Even though minimum 
salary has been increased to 70 gourdes, such a measure DID NOT raise it to the 
level where it should be, if we compare it with the then minimum salary (under 
Duvalier) of 15 gourdes ($US 3 dollars) later raised to 28 gourdes ($US 4 
dollars). Today, the minimum salary is equivalent to $US 1.75 dollar. That is, 
“HOPE” is being implemented in a context of permanent illegality and non 
application, by the state, of the law relating to salary adjustments.

“HOPE”: MILITARY OCCUPATION
“HOPE” will be implemented in the context of an ongoing military occupation. It 
is very important that we understand this context: in order for the Act to be 
implemented, given the tension and the constant possibility of a social 
explosion, due to the suffocating conditions of misery which the population 
lives in, and the incapacity of the ruling classes and their reactionary state 
to confront such a situation on their own, the military occupation is seen as 
their only support. It is all this that they are trying to hide under the 
demagogy of “creating jobs and development”. There can be no “HOPE” without 
repressive forces both outside and inside the factories; hence, the need for a 
repressive apparatus ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.
Poverty and exploitation are fertile ground for RESISTANCE, to which the ruling 
classes respond with REPRESSION. Today, the Haitian police does not have the 
operational capability to cover the national territory in its entirety, not 
even the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Hence, the necessity not only to 
maintain the already operating foreign forces with their tanks and heavy 
weaponry, but to increase their number and deployment capacity in terms of 
personnel and equipment should the need arise. In addition, there is the need 
for a certain level of political administration in order to lead this process 
and to take decisions and carry out policies and measures acceptable by the 
“international community”. There again, the total incompetence of the state, 
with its attendant credibility crisis on the international level, calls for a 
greater involvement of the foreign forces in the political process and an 
increasing assumption of the role of a state within a state. “HOPE” brings 
along the continuation and reinforcement of the country’s military occupation.
It should also be added here that “HOPE” will be implemented on the basis of 
lies and treachery. Lies to a population who deposited their trust in the 
recently and popularly elected leaders. A population who is suffocating and 
suffering under the weight of an intolerable level of poverty and finds itself 
forced to accept whatever meager relief is being offered in order to survive, 
and not die of hunger, even though it may be far from satisfying its needs (the 
maquiladoras have been “creating jobs” for quite some time). But we’re also 
looking at a population who is getting tired and fed up with such conditions, 
and does not want to continue to live in the misery, desolation and despair 
imposed upon them by the imperialists, the bourgeoisie and their reactionary 
state, and will sooner or later rise up in revolt. This is the background to 
the ever-worsening structural crisis that prompted the presence of the foreign 
occupation forces. The ruling classes therefore desperately need this 
repressive army (Brazilians, Argentines, Chileans, etc.) to come to their 
rescue, doing here what they’ve been doing in their respective countries: carry 
out repression against the workers and the popular masses. In order to 
“maintain peace”! The peace of the graveyard!

ANOTHER LESSON TO LEARN FROM “HOPE”
“HOPE” is a technical arrangement among bourgeois capitalists. It is a 
mechanism designed to facilitate commercial exchange between American 
capitalists and their agents here, that is, their Haitian intermediaries. The 
Act classifies different types of merchandise in accordance with their 
respective advantages, fixes the tariffs, establishes norms and regulations for 
the US Customs agencies as regards the class of merchandise, how and when to 
approve them (note here that we’re talking about US customs control…). Above 
all, the Act clearly exposes the servile and mercenary nature of the country’s 
bourgeoisie and its servants in the government. “HOPE” exposes the 
anti-national character of the Haitian ruling classes.
In the context of the struggle against the unbridled implementation of the Free 
Trade Agreement of Central America and Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) by the 
bourgeoisie of the different countries of Central America, the union 
confederations of these countries have coordinated their actions and succeeded 
in forcing the inclusion of some considerations, albeit of a general character, 
regarding the workers’ rights in the factories. In the Ouanaminthe FTZ, the 
workers have succeeded, with their struggle, in forcing the bosses of the Grupo 
M to accept the principle of collective bargaining, to such a point that even 
the World Bank had to attach a series of regulations and conditions to its 
loans to the capitalists of the FTZs, regarding the respect for the rights of 
the workers, including the right to organize and the right to collective 
bargaining.
Certainly, “HOPE” mentions the rights of workers and the clearly established 
international laws. But, we must be clear on this: there has been absolutely no 
mechanism put in place to insure that these rights and these labor protection 
laws are respected or applied. The Labor Code is the only enforcement mechanism 
that exists at the national level. However, in practice, the Code is used to 
handcuff the workers. Even though it leaves the ground free for the bourgeoisie 
to act at will, they still want more, at the expense of the workers. Add to 
this, the pro-bourgeois so-called Social Affairs Department, and the 
bourgeois-controlled Justice Department, and there you have it: Workers’ 
Rights? Fuggetaboutit! The most that could be expected is an occasional 
adjustment, an occasional totally inadequate wage increase. These general 
references of “HOPE” to the workers’ rights have no substance whatsoever, even 
though they will be used in our struggles, with the support of international 
solidarity.
Let us remember that the Haitian bourgeoisie, currently acting as the 
intermediate agent in the implementation of “HOPE”, has the sadly infamous 
reputation of being the worse bourgeoisie in the world, in the very words of 
the American capitalists who call these corrupt lackeys “the most repugnant 
elite in the world” (“MRE”). To such bourgeoisie, workers’ rights are something 
they couldn’t care less about! Their very existence, as a class, is based on 
trampling under foot the workers’ rights. That’s why it’s no surprise that they 
accept such a vague and general mention of these rights: it’s a convenient 
façade that will simply help them fool the people, knowing very well that they 
have no intentions whatsoever of making good on it. In fact, we would be 
surprised of the contrary, since, as mentioned earlier, it’s only on the basis 
of an extreme exploitation of the workers that the bourgeoisie will be able to 
realize its so-called “comparative advantage”, as was done during the first 
phase of the maquiladora industry. The heights attained by the Haitian ruling 
classes’ antinational nature have been revealed for all to see. But, this we 
already knew.
Then there is something else: the Haitian government hasn’t made the least 
effort to protect the Haitian workers and to define the mechanisms necessary to 
implement the generally-mentioned workers’ rights. “HOPE” doesn’t have any 
legal appendages regarding the issue of workers’ rights (this would scare away 
potential investors!). What’s worse, not even a mention is made of the 
Duvalier’s Labor Code, and this, after more than one year in existence.  They 
prefer to make demagogic gestures, in collusion with some fake unions whose 
corrupt “leaders” are in search of some government jobs. The Haitian state has 
never lifted a finger to protect, or demand respect for, the rights of Haitian 
migrant workers in Dominican Republic, as if this were not the responsibility 
of the Haitian government while they’re being victimized, even burned alive, 
without not even a cry of protest, let alone any action, from this shameless 
government. All this shows that what we have in front of us is an anti-people, 
anti-worker state and government.

BATAY OUVRIYE: OUR POSITION
Inevitably, as they’ve done before, during the first workers’ struggles in the 
Ouanaminthe FTZ, the reactionaries will cry: “Batay Ouvriye is opposed to 
development!”, “Batay Ouvriye is opposed to the creation of jobs!”, “They’re 
leading the country towards bankruptcy!”.... We have already exposed all these 
lies. As always, we start from the class interests of the workers, of the 
working class. These interests are what guided us in our successful struggle 
for the reintegration of the workers who were fired from their jobs in the FTZ 
(is this being opposed to the creation of jobs for the workers?). It is this 
same struggle for workers’ rights that forced the textile multinationals to 
reopen their closed factories in the FTZ (is this being opposed to the creation 
of jobs for the workers?). And it is this same struggle that has expanded these 
rights to other countries in the world where the World Bank gives out business 
loans to open factories (by forcing them to attach conditions that link these 
loans to social responsibility and sustained development).
We, members of BATAY OUVRIYE, defend the right to work for all workers. But, at 
the same time, we also resolutely defend ALL WORKERS RIGHTS IN ALL FACTORIES. 
All their rights, conquered and to be conquered, on the basis of the struggle 
of these workers themselves.
In the same way, we are also certain that only the interests of the workers 
correspond to the general interests of our nation. The interests of the 
antinational bourgeoisie have nothing in common with the general interests of 
our nation. Not even a minimum restructuration, not even a minimum improvement, 
except for their own class. Today, the general context of the implementation of 
“HOPE” will lead to the total destruction of our collective identity. It is 
precisely for this reason that we clearly denounce and reject the “HOPE” Act, 
along with all the politicians who try to mystify us in order to be able to 
implement it in the country. As we’ve said before: this Act will bring nothing 
more misery and more exploitation. And its application requires the ruling 
classes’ continuation of the military occupation. In fact, this Act is part of 
a global project. We must view it in this context, not from an isolated point 
of view, even when we concentrate on it, in its own. We must confront it in a 
manner and practice that correspond to the capacity and interests of the 
working class. Let’s be clear: the maquiladora industry has brought us no 
progress, from the Duvalier era to the present time. Nothing will change with 
the implementation of “HOPE”.
In our struggles, in our practice, we are aware that the correlation of forces, 
both at the national and international level, is favorable to its imposition on 
the workers and on the country. However, as we have demonstrated in the 
Ouanaminthe FTZ, we will be present in the struggles to defend the interests of 
the working class, and thru them, the true interests of our country. THE 
STRUGGLE HAS JUST STARTED!
Today, Haiti finds itself at a perilous crossroad (in the full sense of the 
word) where the ruling classes want to transform the country into a huge coffin 
for the population, where the imperialists have already planned the “time 
necessary” to control the country, and are taking measures in that respect, as 
recently indicated by Colin Powell, then confirmed by Mulet. The workers, the 
small peasants, all working people and the popular masses in general are 
confronting these enemies on a daily basis, in their own existence, in their 
struggles against exploitation and domination, for their own demands. All 
progressive people must be conscious that before them, as well, is sure 
annihilation… if we do not wage a massive struggle against the blood-sucking 
plan of the maquiladora industry that pretends to make us believe that they are 
here to help Haiti when, in fact, what they bring to the people is permanent 
degradation, conflict, misery and death.
The plan of the bourgeoisie is to exploit us and extract the maximum profit 
from our sweat and blood, simply. But we know that we, the workers, when we 
organize and struggle, we will always win, at all cost. Victory belongs only to 
the workers who fight for their own interests. Victory belongs to the people in 
struggle.

LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE OF THE MASSES, WITH THE WORKING MASSES AS THE ENGINE AND 
THE WORKING CLASS AS LEADER!


Batay Ouvriye, B.P. 13326, Delmas, Haïti, Delmas 16, No. 13 bis, Tel: (509) 
222-6719.
Email: batay@batayouvriye.org / Http://www.batayouvriye.org