Banking on Empire: Citibank, Haiti, and the Fight for Corporate Accountability
Abstract:
For over a century, Citibank has exerted profound influence over Haiti’s financial system, embedding itself in the country’s economy through coercive debt structures and strategic alliances with the US military. This Note examines Citibank’s historical role in Haiti’s financial subjugation, from its facilitation of the 1915 US occupation to its monopolization of Haiti’s banking system and its abrupt departure in 2024. Through a legal analysis of potential avenues for redress—such as the Alien Tort Statute and unjust enrichment—the Note reveals how existing frameworks fail to hold corporations such as Citibank accountable for historical economic exploitation. While international law provides only non-binding principles, US courts impose strict procedural barriers that insulate multinational corporations from liability. The study highlights the urgent need for legal reforms, advocating for expanded corporate disclosure requirements, stronger international accountability mechanisms, and financial reparations for historically exploited nations. By situating Haiti’s case within broader patterns of corporate-backed neocolonialism, this Note underscores the pressing need to rethink how global financial institutions are held responsible for their role in economic subjugation.
Recommended Citation: Nell W. Fitzgerald, Banking on Empire: Citibank, Haiti, and the Fight for Corporate Accountability, 48 Fordham Int'l L.J. 809 (2025).