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Haitians hit the streets to protest greed, corruption, dire conditions    

by Jacob Fuller

Matt Bush, FISM News

 

Thousands of Haitian protesters gathered Monday in Port Au Prince and other cities across the nation, blocking major roads, shutting down businesses, and marching through the streets in protest.

The protesters, which began their most recent demonstrations on Monday, are demanding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry, a man implicated in the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise, step down from his position so that the country can begin to rebuild.

Haiti has been plagued by poverty, riots, and gang violence for years, but following President Jovenel Moise’s assassination in his home more than a year ago, the unrest has intensified and gangs have gained control of most of the capital city.

Violence and kidnappings have become commonplace throughout the country as gangs in Port Au Prince have more guns, more people, and considerably more money than the police hired to stop them. It is estimated that more than 20,000 Haitians have been displaced from their homes due to gang violence since June of 2021.

A recent U.N. report from July states, “We have so far documented, from January to the end of June, 934 killings, 684 injuries, and 680 kidnappings across the capital. Over a five-day period, from 8-12 July, at least 234 more people were killed or injured in gang-related violence in the Cité Soleil area of the city.”

While these numbers are shocking, they only tell of the documented instances in a country where crime documentation is difficult to achieve. It is likely that the true numbers of these crimes are much higher, and the unrest has only intensified since July.

It is under these conditions that Haitians have taken to protesting and rioting in the streets. Lener Francois, an FISM source in Haiti who lives just outside of Port Au Prince in the town of Gressier, told FISM that he cannot drive from his home into Port Au Prince because of the violence.

“There are protests every day and people are being shot in the streets,” he told FISM.

One tragic case highlights the dire circumstances that residents in the country are facing. An AP report revealed that a mother and her two daughters were shot and set on fire in front of the community by a local gang because they would not comply with their demands

Intense rioting in the streets, referred to as “manifestations” by Haitians, became the norm in February of 2019 when violent protests held the country hostage for almost 2 weeks. Since then, the protesting and violence have ebbed and flowed, but there has not been a time of extended peace or stable leadership since then.

In February of 2019, before the onset of COVID, Haiti was given the designation of a level 4 travel risk by the U.S. State Department, joining 10 other countries including North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Since then, the country has seen its president assassinated, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastate its infrastructure, and gangs essentially take over its capital city. These events caused the State Department to urge all Americans to leave the country in November of last year. Haiti still remains on the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list.

To date, the international community is leaving Haiti to its own devices, but it is becoming increasingly clear that remaining hands-off is just going to exacerbate the problem. People are starving, clean water is hard to find, and poverty is increasing in the country at an alarming rate.

Notably, the Clinton Foundation, headed by former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Democratic nominee for president Hillary Clinton, has been scrutinized for more than a decade over its handling of billions of dollars of donations that were supposed to help Haitians after a major earthquake shook the island in 2010. The foundation has provided little evidence of actual aid to the nation, drawing criticism even from left-leaning legacy media outlets.

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