Freedom of the Press in Haiti: A Tale of Injustice and Intimidation - Essay Sample

Introduction

In terms of free and independent media, the constitution entails the protection of press freedom and that the media sector is pluralistic. However, journalists' efforts are constrained by violence and threats as well as interference from the state government. For instance, in March 2018, the disappearance of journalist Vladimir Legagneur while on a task in Port-au-Prince remains unsolved with the police reporting some arrest concerning the situation, but little information is released to the public ("Expanding freedom and democracy. | Freedom House", 2020). In terms of freedom of religion, the Roman Catholic Church receives state favors compared to other dominations. For example, the Vodou religion believers face social stigma, as well as frustration because the state government has denied registration to the small Muslim hegemony. In respect to academic freedom, academic institutions choose their education curriculums freely; however, college associations and student groups that protest state governments' actions, it is reiterated with police beating and harassing them. In November 2018, three students were shot during a protest to demand for improved conditions in high school in the poor neighborhood of Port-au-Prince ("Expanding freedom and democracy. | Freedom House", 2020). In the same year, professors and students criticized the deployment of riot police to two institutions at the state university because of their public condemnation of the Haitian government in the past.

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The projection of a situation in most cases depends on its present on goings. The civil liberty of the Haitians will always be set back by the culture of corruption and impunity depicted in law enforcement. Apart from the widespread criminal violence, Haiti civilians have little protection judging from the illegitimate use of force. For instance, 900 homicides were reported in 2018, an increase from 750 homicides in 2017 ("Expanding freedom and democracy. | Freedom House", 2020). Although crime statistics are challenging to authenticate because crimes are underreported, the riot police are regularly accused of abusing detainees and suspects. The conditions in Haiti's prison is among the worlds' most overcrowded, which explains the poor conditions entailed to the prisoners. Fundamental freedoms related to custody, marriage, and divorce are customarily respected. Nonetheless, there are no laws to protect people against domestic violence, which results in the crime being underreported ("Expanding freedom and democracy. | Freedom House", 2020). In the case of a legal process for domestic violence, the outcome is mostly unsuccessful because justice officials usually favor reconciliation or other forms of arbitration as a way to deal with domestic violence and rape cases.

Conclusion/Recommendation for Overall Haiti PESTEL Analysis

The report has evaluated the global Haiti PESTEL analysis within sectors such as health, education, environmental protection, energy production, agriculture, general security, and political situation. In terms of demographics, the Haiti state will increase significantly by 2021 ("Haiti - Geopolitics, Analysis and News", 2020). The positive trend can be linked with increased education. The exciting part is that whenever a country becomes more educated, the population growth subsides from year to year. In terms of geographical challenges, Haiti is a Caribbean state that is frequently battered by earthquakes, storms, and floods ("Haiti - Geopolitics, Analysis and News", 2020). Haitian farmers find it challenging to predict the raining pattern, which affects agriculture. In that regard, the agriculture segment has suffered because of the inconsistent climate. Similarly, there is limited access to education because natural disasters and poverty have had a toll on the economy ("Haiti - Geopolitics, Analysis and News", 2020). Lastly, Haiti's political stability is one of the primary factors that explain the nations increased the rate of poverty. There have been various situations in which politicians fight over ideological differences, which subsequently lead to failure to pass critical legislation that would help the Haiti civilians.

References

Expanding freedom and democracy. | Freedom House. Freedomhouse.org. (2020). Retrieved 23 March 2020, from http://www.freedomhouse.org/.

Haiti - Geopolitics, Analysis and News. Worldview.stratfor.com. (2020). Retrieved 23 March 2020, from https://worldview.stratfor.com/region/americas/haiti.