Aristide afterwards claimed that he had been "kidnapped" by U.S. forces and stated that the United States had orchestrated a coup d'état in Haiti, a claim disputed by U.S. officials. Haiti's neighboring Caribbean countries, through the Caribbean Community, deplored the "dangerous precedent for democratically elected governments anywhere and everywhere, as it promotes the removal of duly elected persons from office." Aristide was forced into exile, being flown directly out of Haiti to the Central African Republic, eventually settling in South Africa.