When tackling the subject of decolonization, we must address misconceptions about the supposed finality of the decolonization process.
Dependency theory asserts that formal transfers of political power were actually elaborate deceits designed to conceal the persistence of Western economic imperialism. According to Sernau, dependency theory acknowledged that the Western world (or the First World) brought many things to the poor nations (the Third World), but that most of them were negative and destructive. The destruction came with the European colonial empires but did not leave with them, because new institutions—including multinational corporations, foreign aid agencies, and the World Bank and the IMF—continued to practice neocolonialism. Thus, even after achieving independence, poor countries were hopelessly dependent on the rich nations.
This is further evidenced by the fact that the elite typically taking office after independence were often complicit in allowing foreign states and corporate interests to retain their hold over the economic destiny of former colonial territories. Thus, we must call into question the validity of a straightforward periodization of colonial rule and avoid limiting it to the year France officially agreed to recognize Haitian independence (under certain terms and conditions) in 1825.
It is also important to note that the push for French decolonization was not a sentiment shared by all Haitians, for as with most political movements, there was a broad “left-right split” between political groups who advocated for greater island autonomy and those who supported possible links with France (thinking this relationship would guarantee future prosperity). This difference in opinion was best represented by two of the Haitian Revolution’s most iconic figures, Vincent Ogé and Toussaint L'Ouverture.