On the recordJuly 13, 2000
I very much am opposed to the amendment. There is no pretense democracy anymore in Haiti. It is not a democratic country. I have recently had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Manus, who was the head of the election committee there. He was chased out of the country under threat of death under assassination by mob violence, a most brutal and terrifying prospect. And certainly he has come to our country seeking asylum as a result. There is no judicial department that is working there. There is no real legislative branch. We are stuck with a situation in Haiti where we have committed billions of dollars and made the situation worse because we have backed the wrong people. It is a tragic situation. To make it worse by adding more American taxpayers' dollars to the situation to promote a non-democratic form of government in a friendly neighboring country to me is an unconscionable act, and I surely hope we are not going to do that.
Source
govinfo.gov
