On September 26, Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), addressed the UN General Assembly, where he highlighted the long-standing impact of Haiti’s "independence debt" and the harm caused to the nation over the past two centuries, just before the bicentennial of King Charles X’s 1825 ordinance in 2025.
"I stand before this Assembly today as the voice of the Republic of Haiti, a nation whose history is inextricably linked to the ideals of freedom and justice that we all celebrate here. But Haiti, the first independent Black nation in the world, is also the great victim of a historical injustice that has not only delayed its development but has also burdened its people with a legacy that continues to impact them," declared Edgard Leblanc.
The CPT President underscored the devastating effects of this imposed burden on the young nation at the time. "In 1825, just 21 years after securing its freedom through a heroic struggle, Haiti was forced to pay a colossal debt to France, its former colonizer, in exchange for the recognition of its independence. This ransom, imposed under threat, drained the young nation’s resources, plunging it into a vicious cycle of impoverishment from which it still struggles to escape. This debt was a form of punishment for its audacity in breaking free from the chains of slavery and elevating the Haitian people to human dignity. It was an unjust penalty that stifled the economic and social potential of Haiti’s Black population for generations," he denounced.
In his speech, Leblanc posed a crucial question on the eve of the bicentennial of this unprecedented event in world history: "At this 79th session of the General Assembly, Haiti, through my voice, is not merely demanding reparations, but raising a matter of principle—the principle of inherent justice. My approach is determined, well-structured, and thoroughly documented. The National Committee for Restitution and Reparation, in collaboration with the CARICOM Reparations Commission, has already conducted exhaustive research on this issue. We seek acknowledgment of a moral and historical debt and the implementation of fair and appropriate reparations that will allow our people to break free from the invisible chains of this unjust past," he asserted.