Issue and Opponent: President Aristide’s authoritarianism resulted in public dissatisfaction. Rival parties accused Aristide and his followers of rigging legislative elections to give his party absolute control of the parliament. Thus, the opposition alliance launched a 2-day strike in an attempt to force President Jean Bertrand Aristide to resign and to show popular disenchantment.
Dilemma Action: The economy was crippled by strikes, leaving as much as 80% of the workforce idle. Teachers, doctors, lawyers, and judges stopped working to protest the government’s repression of political opponents. The strike follows violent clashes with police and pro-Aristide gangs. The violent repression of the protesters reflects negatively on Aristide and leads to the movement growing in size. “Aristide can’t claim to be building democracy when he beats us up for speaking our minds,” said Charles Henri Baker, a businessman and opposition leader.
Outcome: The strike effectively paralyzed the country and put a hold on the economy. President Jean Bertrand Aristide was later ousted in the 2004 coup d’état after right-wing ex-army paramilitaries invaded the country from across the Dominican border.