Aftermath of the Earthquake: The Politics of Catastrophe

This article examines whether the earthquake of January 2010 has the poten-tial to generate a seismic transformation of the Haitian political and social structure. In other words, will the practices of the past persist under new forms in the period of reconstruction facing the country? Will the “politics of the belly ” as well as the acute dependence of Haiti on outside forces of power continue to mould the future? Or is there room to imagine under current conditions the creation of a new state based on greater social and economic equality