Crisis in Haiti has gone on since its founding in 1804 after liberating itself from France. Crushing debts to its former colonial power, American military occupation in the early 20th century, the murderous and American-backed Duvalier dynasty’s reign, natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake, gang warfare, and political instability. The current crisis, which has been steadily escalating, has had disastrous effects on the well-being of the Haitian people and the nation’s stability.
The current crisis can be traced back to the mass protests against the government of President Jovenel Moïse in 2019, and his handling of the ongoing fuel crisis that began due to the end of petroleum exports to the nation by Venezuela. Protests intensified after Moïse was accused of more and more corruption. Gang violence increased and many mass killings and assaults began intensifying, perpetrated by both gangs and the government.
In 2021, Moïse was gunned down in his home by a group of mercenaries, most of them Colombian and American. No motive has been uncovered yet but theories have emerged, some blaming gangs and others accusing members of the Haitian government. Moïse was succeeded by Ariel Henry. Henry has been unable to contain the ongoing gang warfare crisis that has led to the current catastrophe and calls for resignation have been deafening since 2021, which he allegedly plans to do at a later date.
The gang war is taking place mostly in Port-au-Prince, where gangs control 80% of the city. The conflict is a 3-way war with the government on one side, and two gang alliances battling it out. One gang, the G9 Family and Allies, has been the one receiving the most attention, in part to its leader, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier. Chérizier is responsible for massive prison breaks, organizing massacres, and has been accused of cannibalism. He and his allies compare him to revolutionaries like Thomas Sankara, while many compare him to Haiti’s former vicious tyrant “Papa Doc” Duvalier. He and the G9 have been waging this conflict against the rival coalition between the gangs 400 Mawozo and G-Pep and the government of Ariel Henry.
On the humanitarian effects, it’s a catastrophe. The inability of the government to protect its people has led to homes and lives destroyed, close to 4,000 have died and 362,000 are displaced. The airports in Port-au-Prince have been closed and the Haitian healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. One UN official said, “I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point.”. In the US, the Biden administration is evacuating personnel from Haiti, while Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, home to America’s largest concentration of Haitian immigrants, has deployed troops to stop Haitians fleeing the conflict from entering the state. A lot of aid has been unable to come into Haiti due to the intensity of the conflict and the government’s instability
