Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
tures averaged about US$40 million annually under the military
regime. In 1994, the final year of the military government,
the spending level of US$45 million amounted to 30.2 percent
of central government expenditures and 2.3 percent of gross
national product (GNP—see Glossary). However, because of
the deteriorating economy resulting from government mismanagement
and the international embargo, the share
assumed by the military was relatively higher than in more normal
times. Any analysis of spending data is subject to many
uncertainties. Portions of the nation's expenditures for military
purposes probably have been unrecorded, or allocated funds
may have been siphoned off by corrupt officers.
Between 1975 and 1985, under the Duvaliers, military spending
averaging US$30 million a year represented about 8 percent
of government expenditures. Between 1987 and 1991,
when Aristide was ousted by the military, the share of military
expenditures in the national budget rose from 10.6 percent to
15.3 percent. Recorded military outlays did not exceed 2 percent
of GNP during the Duvalier era or under any subsequent
regime.
Throughout the twentieth century, the United States was the
primary source of foreign military support in terms of materiel
and financing. United States military missions to Haiti during
and after World War II helped to maintain links between the
two countries.
Overall, between 1950 and 1977, the United States provided
US$3.4 million in military aid, which included the cost of training
for 610 Haitian students in the United States. During the
1980s, no direct military aid was provided, although some credits
were advanced to permit commercial military purchases.
The financing program amounted to about US$300,000 a year,
but the Duvaliers spent a much greater amount in direct commercial
transactions, primarily for crowd-control equipment.
All forms of military assistance ended when the elections of
1987 failed. ACDA has recorded no imports of military equipment
since 1987, when US$500,000 worth of military items
entered the country, presumably acquired through commercial
channels.
Role of the Army in Law Enforcement Prior to 1995
Although the 1987 constitution mandated a separate police
corps and a new police academy under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Justice and Public Security, political realities pre-
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