On April 17, 2025, from France, President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make a statement regarding the independence ransom — the double debt paid by Haiti to France to avoid another war with its former colonial power.

This April 17, 2025, marks the 200th anniversary — a somber milestone — of what was both a ransom extorted from Haiti under the threat of King Charles X’s warships, and the beginning of a disastrous spiral for the country.