HI)eU)asfiingtonJ)ost
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti t- In ;the midst of a serious political and economic crisis, HaitiÛªs authoritarian1 government is using foreign aid to' tighten its hold on this country, despite the efforts of its most important donor, the United States.</br></br>At a recent meeting of Western nations and agencies financing HaitiÛªs survival, the donors pledged a record' amount of aid to President-for-Life Û¢ Jean Claude Duvalier. But while the donors had been unwilling to play politics with their assistance, the Haitian government, much to the chagrin of U.S. and other diplomats, widely advertised the aid increase as a broad endorsement of its policies.</br></br>Foreign missions here, which had welcomed a somewhat greater political freedom during the past year, were infuriated when the Duvalier government jailed almost all its prominent critics just days before the aid talks.</br></br>Then, during the donor meeting, Haiti engaged in an unusual test o/ Û÷wills with the United States by censuring the American delegate. When, U.S. representative Allan Furman began to express concern about the ÛÏrecent deterioration in HaitiÛªs human rights environment,Û Haitian Planning Minister Edouard Berrouet immediately cut him short.</br></br>Human rights remarks were ÛÏnot acceptable,Û said Berrouet, loudly ringing a bell. ÛÏPlease pass to the technical part of your statement.Û Rather than walk out, the U.S. dele--gate obeyed.