fast forward to nine hundred ninety when john bertrand aristide became the first democratically elected leader of haiti but instead of supporting haiti's first democracy the u.s. immediately acted to undermine it what a shock during the bush administration and tears did leaders were appointed to key diplomatic positions infrastructure initiatives were terminated the haitian national police was deterred because of a weapons in bargo and at the same time a little think tank in washington d.c. called the international republican institute or the i r i was hard at work in haiti with a three million dollar budget to quote promote democracy there they began to unite areas steeds political opponents opponents that would eventually overthrow his government and it's more than a coincidence that these same opponents were trained at the school of america's school notorious for educating some the most ruthless dictators in the world all of which heightened haiti's political crisis now keep in mind the ira is the same organization that also tried to back a coup against venezuelan president hugo chav