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March 11, 2009

Clinton Sees Hope in Haiti for “First Time”
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In Haiti, former President Bill Clinton joined UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon Tuesday to promote an anti-poverty initiative being launched
there. Clinton said he sees signs of hope in the poorest country in the
western hemisphere.

Bill Clinton: “I have followed Haiti for more than three decades. This
is the first time I have ever really believed that the country had a
chance to slip the bonds of poverty and escape the heritage of
oppressive government and misgovernment and abuse of people that have
held people down too long.”

Clinton is sometimes described as a champion of Haitian democracy for
restoring the overthrown elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide after
the first US-backed coup. But Clinton was widely criticized for forcing
Aristide to accept US-imposed neoliberal economic policies as a
condition for his return to office.



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