Dupuy on Aristide Arrival in Haitian at Eve of Elections

In an OpEd for British newspaper The Guardian, Alex Dupuy, chair and professor of African American studies, Class of 1958 Distinguished Professor of Sociology, cuts through the hype surrounding the return to Haiti of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and discusses the realities of the former-president coming back home just a few days before the national election. “Whatever the hopes of Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas base, though, I don’t see any real prospect of a political comeback for the former president,” Dupuy writes. “Even assuming there is no attempt to indict him for human rights abuses or corruption allegedly committed by his 2001-2004 government, Aristide would still have to tread carefully to avoid being made to regret his decision to return.”

Dupuy also comments on Aristide for The New York Times and the difficulties facing Aristide in re-building his political party and power base.