Caribbean Matters: Trump’s anti-Haitian rhetoric evokes 1937 massacre
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been ramping up their violent and racist rhetoric against Haitian Americans and the nation of Haiti, which shouldn’t surprise anyone as Trump sounds more and more like the dictators he admires and seeks to emulate. He is often mentioned in connection with past and present fascist European leaders like Adolf Hitler and Viktor Orban, but when it comes to sheer mendacity and obsession with race, Trump resembles a historic figure much closer to home: Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo.
In last week’s Caribbean Matters, we examined a shared history between the U.S. and Haiti. But we should also be aware of a horrific episode at the hands of a U.S.-backed dictator who used racism and scapegoating to murder innocents. This week is the anniversary of the Trujillo-ordered October 1937 slaughter of thousands of Haitians in the Dominican Republic, which has been called “The Parsley Massacre.”
Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. Hope you’ll join us here every Saturday. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.