Canada & the Crisis in Central America // Review

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Late in 1993, despite strong diplomatic pressure from the United Nations (UN), Haitian military dictator General Raul Cedras refused to honour a commitment to leave presidential office, and to allow the return of ousted president Jean - Bertrand Artstide. In October, under a UN security council mandate, Canada responded to Cedras's intransigence by sending warships to the Caribbean Sea, joining the United States in a United Nations - sanctioned commercial blockade of Haiti. Many Canadians were uneasy about this threat of military force against a small island nation. Haitians were quick to draw parallels in the international press between the blockade and abusive American marine …