In September 1994, Haiti’s de facto government, led by Brigadier General Raoul , capitulated to widespread international pressure and relinquished power. Some 20,000 American troops thereafter occupied the island of Haiti. The government had overthrown the democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide after just eight months in power. Many of the country’s wealthy elites were dissatisfied with Aristide’s leftist policies. The government, a military junta in many respects, subsequently repressed the Haitian population. This, in turn, forced many Haitians to flee their country for the United States on makeshift and dangerous flotation devices. Many of these asylum seekers were forcibly returned to their …

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Citation: Richert, Lucas Paul. "US invades Haiti and restores democracy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 October 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=3988, accessed 26 November 2024.]