France's president says that making Haiti pay for its independence was unjust
apnews.com
French President Emmanuel Macron says it was an injustice imposed on Haiti when it was forced to pay a colossal indemnity in exchange for its independence from France.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that historic injustice was imposed on Haiti when it was forced to pay a colossal indemnity to France in exchange for its independence 200 years ago.

Macron also announced the creation of a joint French-Haitian historical commission to ‘’examine our shared past’’ and assess relations, but did not directly address longstanding Haitian demands for reparations.

France ″subjected the people of Haiti to a heavy financial indemnity, … This decision placed a price on the freedom of a young nation, which was thus confronted with the unjust force of history from its very inception,’’ Macron said in a statement.

  • Chloé 🥕@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    61·
    4 days ago

    if anyone was curious of how much france needs to pay back:

    They approximated that in total 112 million francs was paid in indemnity, which when adjusted for the inflation rate would be $560 million in 2022, but considering that if it had been invested in the Haitian economy instead, it could be valued at $115 billion.

    (from Wikipedia)

    and obviously, this is only from the debt. reparations for the enslavement of Haitians will cost much, much more

    • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
      3·
      3 days ago

      iirc most countries agreed to pay huge sums of money to the slavers, not to the slaves, when slavery was abolished