Haiti

Occupying the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, Haiti was the first black-led republic and the first independent nation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its long history of political violence, economic instability and natural disasters have contributed, however, to its current status as the poorest country in the Americas, with the legacies of the 2004 coup and the 2010 earthquake still felt particularly keenly. The current situation is difficult to assess, but sexual violence, abuse of women and children, violations of rights by security forces and human trafficking are all known to continue.