WORLD CUP USA ‘94: ROUND OF 16 : Spotlight : THESE COMMERCIALS BROUGHT TO YOU BY HAITI

The Haitian military and its civilian puppet government took advantage of the country’s fascination with the World Cup to put down the United States and spread some propaganda.

During the telecast of the U.S. game against Brazil on Monday, Haiti National Television constantly ran slogans across the screen in Creole.

“Long live the Haitian flag,” read one of the mild ones.

“We are masters of our own sun and soil,” read another, followed by, “There are no traitors among us.”

Then came “No to occupation” and “Down with an invasion,” references to the threat of U.S. intervention to drive out the military.

The most anti-American of the programming came during the halftime intermission when the network, which had been off the air for lack of money and electricity until the World Cup, ran excerpts from a documentary showing U.S. troops invading Panama.

There were pictures of American soldiers shooting into apartment buildings, a row of caskets containing Panamanian bodies and one graphic close-up of the charred head of a body being carried from a wooden structure burned to the ground during the 1989 U.S. attack.

Finally, there was a cartoon graphic showing a colorful Haitian public bus that was positioned to look as if it were carrying the American players off the field after the Brazilians scored or played particularly well.