Opinion
Opinion

Haiti’s Crossroads: Security, Sovereignty, and Lessons

Haiti’s Crossroads: Security, Sovereignty, and Lessons
An overview of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 3, 2025. Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty Images
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Commentary

History offers a powerful lesson for any nation on the brink of surrendering key sovereign powers to outsiders. The East India Company (EIC), which once exercised dominion over a large part of the Indian subcontinent and Hong Kong, ultimately failed because of its lack of accountability, rampant corruption, mismanagement, and the prioritization of profit over the well-being of the people. The EIC’s legacy is clear: when foreign companies exercise sovereign-like authority, abuse and exploitation follow, undermining national interests and eroding public trust. Sovereignty cannot be outsourced without harmful consequences.

Austin Holmes
Austin Holmes
Author
Austin Holmes, a Florida native and Haitian resident, has experience directing high-stakes humanitarian efforts, crisis management operations, and disaster response efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean.