And to quite honest, Haiti is a mess today. The DR isn't much better although they are more accomdating to visitors. It's like Africa. The areas Italy controlled prior to ww2 in my opinion would be in better shape today if they still owned them.
Haiti (or DR) was never an Italian colony. Haiti became a French colony in 1625 while the DR remained a Spanish colony into the 1900s I think. You should read into the External Debt of Haiti, it was basically the French shaking them down after they gained their independence. Fascinating and fucked up, like most of history I guess.
Edit: DR became independent in 1844, my bad.
