Haiti–Poland relations

Haiti–Poland relations
Map indicating locations of Haiti and Poland

Haiti
Poland

Haiti–Poland relations refer to the bilateral relations between Haiti and Poland. Contacts date back to the Polish contribution in the Haitian Revolution in the early 19th century, with diplomatic relations established after World War I. Both countries are members of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

History

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See also: Polish Haitians
Polish Legionnaires at Saint-Domingue, 19th-century painting by January Suchodolski; Warsaw National Museum

In 1802, Napoleon sent Polish Legionnaires to then French-ruled Saint-Domingue to fight off a slave rebellion. Poles, who fought on the side of France in hopes of restoration of their recently partitioned and occupied homeland, were lied to that they would fight against rebellious prisoners, and after learning the truth, many defected to join the Haitian Revolution against the French colonialists. First head of state of Haiti Jean-Jacques Dessalines called the Poles the white Negroes of Europe,[1][2] in an expression of respect and empathy for the situation of the Poles. The 1805 Haitian constitution granted the Poles Haitian citizenship.[3] A Polish community lives in Haiti to this day with their main center in Casale.

Diplomatic relations were established after Poland regained independence following World War I. An honorary consulate of Poland was located in Port-au-Prince from 1935 to 1945.[4] It was reopened in 2005.[5]

In 1994, 51 soldiers of the Polish GROM Military Unit took part in the Operation Uphold Democracy to remove the military regime installed after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état and restore the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[6] In addition to their assigned duties, Polish commandos intervened several times in various cases of common residents against criminals and former military men, including providing medical treatment to impoverished people, rescuing people from lynching, and rescuing a Haitian child kidnapped presumably by former Haitian military officers, gaining the sympathy of impoverished Haitians, but at the same time the resentment of wealthier residents sympathizing with the ousted military regime.[7] Polish commandos also took part in the relief operation following the Hurricane Gordon, aiding Haitian residents and saving five Filipino soldiers.[8] President Aristide thanked the Polish commandos for their service with the Polish word "dziękuję", meaning "thank you."[8]

Caritas Poland, UNICEF Poland and the Polish Humanitarian Action raised over 5 million PLN to help the Haitians affected by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[9]

Diplomatic missions

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  • Haiti is accredited to Poland from its embassy in Berlin.
  • Poland is accredited to Haiti from its embassy in Panama City.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Girard, Philippe R. (2011). The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian War of Independence, 1801–1804. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-8173-1732-4.
  2. ^ Meade, Teresa A. (2022). A History of Modern Latin America: 1800 to the Present. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 71.
  3. ^ "The 1805 Constitution of Haiti". Webster University. Archived from the original on 28 December 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  4. ^ Ceranka, Paweł; Szczepanik, Krzysztof (2020). Urzędy konsularne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918–1945. Informator archiwalny (in Polish). Warszawa: Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych, Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych. p. 321. ISBN 978-83-65681-93-5.
  5. ^ "Utworzenie Konsulatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w Port-au-Prince (Republika Haiti)" (in Polish). Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  6. ^ Chloupek, Ireneusz (2020). "Haiti – 1994". Special Ops (in Polish). pp. 44, 46.
  7. ^ Chloupek, p. 49
  8. ^ a b Chloupek, p. 50
  9. ^ "Polska: zebrano ponad 5 mln zł dla poszkodowanych na Haiti". Newsweek.pl (in Polish). 25 January 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
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