On this day in 1994: 3000 U.S. militia lands on Haiti

Start:	Sep 19, '09
Location:	Port-au-Prince, Haiti

In mid-September 1994, with U.S. troops prepared to enter Haiti by force for Operation Uphold Democracy, President Bill Clinton dispatched a negotiating team led by former President Jimmy Carter to persuade the authorities to step aside and allow for the return of constitutional rule.

With intervening troops already airborne, top leaders agreed to step down. In October an exiled Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a charismatic Roman Catholic priest (and an on-again, off-again U.S. ally), was able to return to Haiti. Elections were held in June 1995. Aristide's coalition, the Lavalas (Waterfall) Political Organization, had a sweeping victory.

When Aristide's term ended in February 1996, René Préval, a prominent Aristide political ally, was elected President with 88% of the vote: this was Haiti's first ever transition between two democratically elected presidents.

But it's gone downhill in Haiti ever since.