Bloody Violence: How Poverty and Chaos Led to the Fall of Haiti’s Power to Gangs

The recent political unrest in Haiti is not surprising. Rather, it is linked to deep historical roots and political transformations that ultimately led to gangs controlling the levers of power in a large way and the community falling under the weight of their violence in several cities.

In addition to being hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2021, Haiti faces a growing problem with gangs taking control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

An unprecedented state of chaos and armed violence has engulfed the capital and many Haitian cities, devastatingly affecting the country's stability and security and exacerbating the difficult conditions experienced by Haitians.

Once the wealthiest colony in the Americas, Haiti is now the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, with more than half of its population living below the World Bank's poverty line.

It is noteworthy that Haiti has witnessed for decades the spread of armed criminal gangs, which has made the country have one of the highest rates of organized crime.

Analysts attributed this situation to the decomposition of the political elite and the widespread poverty in the country, which it inherited from the years of colonial plunder to which it was subjected.

Critical Situation

Haiti is experiencing a new series of bloody violence, which began late last February after criminal gangs moved to overthrow the government and take control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, which led to thousands of casualties as a result of armed confrontations between gangs and the police, as well as the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians from there.

Violence erupted in Haiti on the evening of March 2 after members of armed gangs launched coordinated attacks on the international airport in the capital and two prisons, leading to the escape of about 4,700 prisoners.

The violence reached its peak when Prime Minister Ariel Henry went to Kenya in order to complete a deal to deploy forces of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to restore order in the country.

Observers pointed out that the ongoing wave of violence is a message sent by the gangs to the government and the international community, stating that they refuse to deploy this force on the country's territory.

In October 2023, the UN Security Council agreed to send multinational forces to combat the outbreak of criminal gangs, a year after the island's government requested it.

On March 3, the Port-au-Prince government declared a state of emergency, including a three-day curfew. 

"The police have received orders to use all legal means at their disposal to enforce the curfew and arrest all violators," the government said in a statement.

On March 7, the government decided to extend the state of emergency for a month.

Le Nouvelliste, the country's largest newspaper, described the violence as a procession of fire, blood, corpses, and fear.

Gang violence has displaced more than 362,000 Haitians, over half of them children. 

At least 35,000 have fled from their homes since the beginning of 2024, trying to escape the escalating crisis.

According to United Nations statistics, about two million Haitians live in areas controlled by armed gangs, including at least 600,000 children.

Gangs in Haiti seek to control the capital and seize power in the country, as the ongoing violence is led by a gang leader named Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed "Barbecue," who is a former policeman and heads the most powerful alliance in Haiti, known as G9, which includes 9 gangs.

Cherizier threatened to plunge the country into civil war if the prime minister refused to step down, saying: "If Ariel Henry does not resign, and if the international community continues to support him, we are heading directly towards a civil war that will lead to genocide."

The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021 created a power vacuum. Ariel Henry later assumed the position of Prime Minister of Haiti, but his administration was marred by accusations of corruption and illegality.

The political scene in Haiti took a confusing turn with the resignation of Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, on March 11, 2024. His resignation coincided with regional talks in Jamaica.

It is noteworthy that no elections have been held in Haiti since 2019, and the unrest has severely disrupted the governance structure, leaving Haiti without any democratically elected officials starting in January 2023.

In response to Henry's resignation, it was announced that a transitional presidential council would be formed, consisting of two observers and seven voting members, whose immediate task would be to appoint an interim prime minister.

Gangs have taken advantage of Haiti's political chaos, with armed criminals now controlling nearly 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Gang Violence

Haiti is witnessing the widespread spread of gangs and the growth of their power, which culminated in 1957 with the establishment of a dictatorship under the leadership of Francois Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude, who allied with armed gangs to protect their rule for 29 years.

Although Jean-Claude Duvalier was overthrown in 1986, gang activity in Haiti continued at a stable pace.

Elections after 1988 did little to restore order as the different political factions formed their own relationships with illegal local groups.

But this pace soon began to rise again with the 2011 elections, as politicians resorted to using these armed gangs to extend their influence on the ground. Things got out of control, and the gangs became the ones controlling the decisions in the country.

There are about 200 criminal gangs spread in Haiti, ranging in size from small groups to those whose members exceed 1,500 people, and they are considered very superior in terms of armament.

They obtain their arsenal of weapons smuggled from the United States in exchange for the weak armament of the local police and the lack of their personnel, as they do not exceed 9,000 police officers.

These gangs practice all types of crime, from human trafficking to kidnapping and armed robbery, in addition to drug and weapons trade. They even impose royalties on citizens for public services in light of the absence of authority in the country.

The gangs also collect special taxes from the owners of shops and small industrial workshops spread across their areas of influence, in addition to providing protection services to political figures and businessmen while they are in the country in exchange for money.

In turn, the United Nations representative to Haiti told the UN Security Council that more than 8,400 people were victims of gang violence in Haiti in 2023, including killings, injuries, and kidnappings, an increase of 122% over 2022.

Financial Control

Economically, Haiti's public debt reached $5 billion, nearly 30% of its GDP.

According to World Food Program statistics, 80% of Haiti's 11 million people live below the poverty line, and more than 4.4 million of them suffer from famine.

Haiti is also one of the poorest and most indebted countries in the world, which stands in the way of any development attempts to get it out of this situation.

Haiti inherited its debt crisis from French colonialism, from which it was liberated in 1804, and was established as the first independent black republic, which paved the way for its political journey.

However, France only recognized an independent Haiti in 1825 after its former colony agreed to pay reparations that are estimated to be worth $21 billion in today's dollars.

Over the next 122 years, up to 80% of Haiti's revenues went to pay off this debt.

In 1915, the American invasion and subsequent financial control until 1943 greatly shaped Haiti's political landscape.

A report by a New York-based research institution stated that "over two decades of occupation, the U.S. controlled Haiti's security and finances, imposed segregation, forced labor and press censorship, and removed presidents and legislatures that opposed the American presence.

"Even after the Americans evacuated Haiti in 1934, this left a succession of unstable governments, as a result of continuous interference in the country's political affairs," the report added.