Ugly history: The 1937 Haitian Massacre - Edward Paulino

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

When historians talk about the atrocities of the 20th century,

Kada istoričari pričaju o užasima 20. veka,

we often think of those that took place during and between the two World Wars.

često mislimo na one koji su se desili tokom i između dva Svetska rata.

Along with the Armenian genocide in modern-day Turkey,

Pored Genocida nad Jermenima u savremenoj Turskoj,

the Rape of Nanking in China,

Silovanja Nanking u Kini,

and Kristallnacht in Germany,

i Kristalne noći u Nemačkoj,

another horrific ethnic cleansing campaign

još jedna užasna kampanja etničkog čišćenja

occurred on an island between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

se desila na ostrvu između Atlantskog okeana i Karipskog mora.

The roots of this conflict go back to 1492,

Koreni ovog konflikta sežu do 1492,

when Christopher Columbus stumbled onto the Caribbean island

kada je Kristifor Kolumbo nabasao na ovo karipsko ostrvo

that would come to be named Hispaniola, launching a wave of European colonization.

koje će da nazove Hispaniola započinjući talas evropske kolonizacije.

The island’s Taíno natives were decimated by violence and disease

Prvobitni stanovnici ostrva Taino su destekovani nasiljem i bolešću,

and the Europeans imported large numbers of enslaved Africans

a Evropljani su uvezli ogroman broj porobljenih Afrikanaca

to toil in profitable sugar plantations.

kako bi rintali na profitabilnim plantažama šećera.

By 1777, the island had become divided

Do 1777, ostrvo je podeljeno

between a French-controlled West and a Spanish-controlled East.

između Zapada kojim je upravljala Francuska

i Istoka kojim je upravljala Španija.

A mass slave revolt won Haiti its independence from France in 1804

Masovna pobuna robova je Haitiju omogućila nezavisnost od Francuske 1804.

and it became the world’s first black republic.

i postao je prva crna republika na svetu.

But the new nation paid dearly,

Međutim, nova nacija je to skupo platila,

shut out of the world economy and saddled with debt by its former masters.

izolovana od svetske ekonomije i pod omčom duga bivših gospodara.

Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic would declare independence

U međuvremenu će Dominikanska republika da proglasi nezavisnost

by first overthrowing Haitian rule of eastern Hispaniola

tako što će prvo da zbaci haićansku vlast u istočnoj Hispanioli,

and later Spanish and American colonialism.

a kasnije španski i američki kolonijalizam.

Despite the long and collaborative history shared by these two countries,

Uprkos dugoj istoriji saradnje između ove dve države,

many Dominican elites saw Haiti as a racial threat

većina dominikanske elite je gledala na Haiti kao na rasnu pretnju

that imperiled political and commercial relations with white western nations.

koja je ugrožavala političke i trgovinske odnose sa belim zapadnim nacijama.

In the years following World War I,

U godinama nakon I svetskog rata,

the United States occupied both parts of the island.

Sjedinjene države su okupirale oba dela ostrva.

It did so to secure its power in the Western hemisphere

To su uradile kako bi osigurale svoju moć na zapadnoj hemisferi,

by destroying local opposition and installing US-friendly governments.

uništavajući lokalnu opoziciju i uspostavljajući vlade naklonjene SAD-u.

The brutal and racist nature of the US occupation,

Okrutna i rasistička priroda američke okupacije,

particularly along the remote Dominican-Haitian border,

naročito duž udaljene dominikansko-haićanske granice,

laid the foundation for bigger atrocities after its withdrawal.

postavila je temelj većim nepočinstvima nakon povlačenja SAD-a.

In 1930, liberal Dominican president Horacio Vásquez

Godine 1930, liberalnog dominikanskog predsednika Horasija Vaskeza

was overthrown by the chief of his army, Rafael Trujillo.

je svrgnuo njegov načelnik vojske, Rafael Truhiljo.

Despite being a quarter Haitian himself,

Uprkos tome što je bio i sam delom Haićanin,

Trujillo saw the presence of a bicultural Haitian and Dominican borderland

Truhiljo je gledao na prisustvo bikulturne haićansko-dominikanske granične oblasti

as both a threat to his power

i kao na pretnju njegovoj vlasti

and an escape route for political revolutionaries.

i kao na rutu za beg političkih revolucionara.

In a chilling speech on October 2, 1937,

U jezivom govoru iz 2. oktobra 1937,

he left no doubt about his intentions for the region.

nije ostavio mesta sumnji o njegovim namerama za region.

Claiming to be protecting Dominican farmers from theft and incursion,

Tvrdeći da štiti dominikanske zemljoradnike od pljački i upada,

Trujillo announced the killing of 300 Haitians along the border

Truhiljo je najavio smaknuće 300 Haićana duž granice

and promised that this so-called "remedy" would continue.

i obećao je da će se njegov takozvani "lek" nastaviti.

Over the next few weeks, the Dominican military,

U narednih nekoliko nedelja, dominikanska vojska,

acting on Trujillo’s orders,

u službi Truhiljovih naredbi,

murdered thousands of Haitian men and women,

ubila je na hiljade haićanskih muškaraca i žena,

and even their Dominican-born children.

pa čak i njihovu dominikansku decu.

The military targeted black Haitians,

Vojni cilj su bili Haićani crnci,

even though many Dominicans themselves were also dark-skinned.

iako su mnogi Dominikanci i sami bili tamne kože.

Some accounts say that to distinguish the residents

Neka svedočenja kažu da kako bi razlikovali stanovnike

of one country from the other,

jedne družave od drugih

the killers forced their victims to say the Spanish word for parsley.

ubice su terale svoje žrtve da izgovore špansku reč za peršun.

Dominicans pronounce it perejil, with a trilled Spanish "r."

Dominikanci su je izgovarali perejil, treperavim španskim "r".

The primary Haitian language, however, is Kreyol, which doesn’t use a trilled r.

Prvobitni haićanski jerzi, pak, je kreolski, koji nema treperavo r.

So if people struggled to say perejil,

Pa, ako je ljudima bilo teško da kažu perejil,

they were judged to be Haitian and immediately killed.

procenjivalo bi se da su Haićani i odmah su ubijani.

Yet recent scholarship suggests that tests like this

Međutim, noviji akademici pretpostavljaju da slični testovi

weren’t the sole factor used to determine who would be murdered,

nisu bili jedini faktor koji je korišćen da se odredi ko će da bude ubijen,

especially because many of the border residents were bilingual.

naročito stoga što su mnogi pogranični stanovnici bili bilingvalni.

The Dominican government censored any news of the massacre,

Dominikanska vlada je cenzurisala sve vesti o masakru,

while bodies were thrown in ravines,

dok su tela bacali u jaruge,

dumped in rivers,

istovarali ih u reke

or burned to dispose of the evidence.

ili palili kako bi se rešili dokaza.

This is why no one knows exactly how many people were murdered,

Zbog toga niko ne zna tačno koliko ljudi je ubijeno,

though contemporary estimates range from about 4,000 to 15,000.

iako savremenici procenjuju da broj seže od oko 4.000 do 15.000.

Yet the extent of the carnage was clear to many observers.

Ipak je stepen krvoprolića bio očit mnogim posmatračima.

As the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic at the time noted,

Kako je američki ambasador u Dominikanskoj republici tada zabeležio:

“The entire northwest of the frontier on the Dajabón side

"Čitav severozapad od granice, sa dahabonske strane,

is absolutely devoid of Haitians.

je potpuno lišen Haićana.

Those not slain either fled across the frontier or are still hiding in the bush.”

Oni koji nisu smaknuti, pobegli su preko granice ili se i dalje skrivaju u žbunju."

The government tried to disclaim responsibility

Vlada je pokušavala da se odrekne odgovrnosti

and blame the killings on vigilante civilians,

i da za ubistva okrivi samoorganizovane građane,

but Trujillo was condemned internationally.

međutim Truhiljo je doživeo međunarodnu osudu.

Eventually, the Dominican government

Na kraju je dominikanska vlada

was forced to pay only $525,000 in reparations to Haiti,

primorana da plati obeštećenje od svega 525.000 dolara Haitiju,

but due to corrupt bureaucracy,

međutim, zbog korumpirane birokratije,

barely any of these funds reached survivors or their families.

jedva da je išta od ovog novca stiglo do preživelih ili njihovih porodica.

Neither Trujillo nor anyone in his government

Ni Truhiljo, niti bilo ko iz njegove vlade

was ever punished for this crime against humanity.

nisu nikad kažnjeni za ovaj zločin protiv čovečnosti.

The legacy of the massacre remains a source of tension

Zaveštanje masakra ostaje izvor tenzija

between the two countries.

između dve države.

Activists on both sides of the border have tried to heal the wounds of the past.

Aktivisti sa obe strane granice su pokušavali da zaleče rane iz prošlosti.

But the Dominican state has done little, if anything,

Međutim, dominikanska država je uradila malo ili nimalo

to officially commemorate the massacre or its victims.

da zvanično oda poštu masakru ili njegovim žrtvama.

Meanwhile, the memory of the Haitian massacre remains a chilling reminder

U međuvremenu, sećanje na Haićanski masakr ostaje jezivi podsetnik

of how power-hungry leaders can manipulate people

na to kako vođe gladni moći mogu da izmanipulišu ljudima

into turning against their lifelong neighbors.

da se okrenu protiv svojih celoživotnih komšija.