Presidents: Two countries one island

SummaryAs the Dominican Republic’s economy was exploding, Haiti’s economy was imploding. The Dominicans were under the rule of Ulises Heureaux, he was a nice little embezzler. Dominicans eventually killed him. The two countries fell in near chaos as both countries went in debt. During the late 1930’s, under Trujillo’s control, the Dominican Republic became the US’s main supplier of sugar, However, most of the cane cutters who worked for Dominican plantations were Haitian. The brutal treatment of these Haitian can cutters did not go unnoticed. Even so, the Dominican government blamed the Haitian people and government for the harsh punishment the workers went through. Just as the Spanish justified the enslavement of the Taino, generations later, the Dominicans justified the mistreatment of Haitian workers.In the late 1970’s a young Haitian man became president, at age 19. His fathers name was Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, the man’s name was Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Baby Doc siphoned money out of the banks on numerous occasions. Baby Doc married a Michele Bennett, their marriage was worth over 3million dollars. The first-couple constantly took money from the already failing economy of Haiti. The Pope once spoke in front of the Haitian people and told them, this must change, in Haitian Kreyol. One man, Jean-Bertand Aristide answered this advice. Aristide was an intellectual that collected certificates and accumulated the skill to speak nine languages. He would become Haiti’s first democratically elected president. He was very outspoken against the mistreatment of Haitian workers in the Dominican Republic. The world had its eyes on the Dominican Republic to change its ways. During this time period, yet again, a strange relationship between Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and The United States occurred. Hispaniola was ready to explode in violence until the US stepped in, and took Aristide with them. Joaquin Balaguer was president, and remained president for 12years. Yet again, he was the creation of another military coup. Before him, Juan Bosch was president; he was the Dominicans first democratically elected president. But, under Balaguer, the successor, the Countries economy, and nationalism reached new heights. He too, was a strong disbeliever of any mistreatment of Haitian cane cutters.

Quote
"Now Aristied was being exiled. A few years ago it was Bosch, now Aristide, the both of them were the first democraticly elected presidents of their country. They were only sepereated by 20years(Wukcer 93)."

Reaction
this is yet another parrallelism between the two countries. Though not everyone from either country would admit the coincidences and ironies that happened all throughout the Islands' history, these coincedences, ironies, and parrallelisms are quit obvious, like this one.