The current situation: A vicious cycle
1] The politicians profit from the gangs.
2] The gangs profit from the politicians.
3] The gangs control 60% to 90% of Port-au-Prince.
Gang Rule, Gang Killings in Haiti By Ambassador Mark A. Green on April 25, 2023
But since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, things have gotten much, much worse. This year, according to United Nations statistics, more than 530 people have been killed, 300 injured, and 277 kidnapped in gang-related incidents in Haiti—just through the end of March. What’s more, 90 percent of metropolitan Port-au-Prince is estimated to be under gang control.
Haiti has had no elected head of state since then Haitian President Jovenel Moise’s murder in July 2021. The de facto ruler, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, was never officially sworn in because he never received parliamentary approval to act as head of government. Instead, for the last two years, he has been ruling by decree. Haiti has not had a single elected official in power since January in either House of Parliament.
Haiti Is on the Brink of State Failure
The underlying drivers of Haiti’s woes are complex, but metastasized criminal gangs and the predatory political and economic corruption that enable them have made the country’s plight immeasurably worse. If left unattended, Haiti’s security crisis will only deepen, leading to further upheaval at home and beyond, with grim implications for regional stability.
Gangs have a long history in Haiti. For decades, they have been weaponized by senior politicians, bureaucrats, and business elites to suppress dissent, sway elections, and offer protection. But today, these criminal networks—currently estimated to consist of about 200 armed groups—are multiplying and decoupling from their traditional patrons. To finance their operations, gangs are diversifying their traditional criminal activities beyond intimidation-for-hire and neighborhood extortion to include drug trafficking and money laundering.
Suspected Haiti gang members stoned, set on fire by crowd
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the immediate deployment of an international armed force in Haiti to stem escalating gang violence and the country’s worst human rights crisis in decades.
Guterres reiterated in a report to the UN Security Council that deploying an international force remains “crucial” to help Haitian authorities curb the violence and rights abuses, restore the rule of law, and create conditions for the holding of national elections.
Security Council Press Statement on Haiti in response
The members of the Security Council, mindful of the need for security support, reaffirmed their call to all political actors to engage constructively in meaningful negotiations to allow the holding of inclusive, free and fair legislative and presidential elections, as soon necessary conditions are met. They noted the ongoing political process and called for continued progress in the path to restoring the country’s democratic institutions and encouraged efforts to ensure a wider participation in the political process. They emphasized the need to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the importance of including youth, persons with disabilities and civil society in Haiti’s political processes.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their continued solidarity with the people
What this means in short, nobody is willing to take direct action in Haiti, France or the US should not lead any mission by default, but they can do the financing [they owe so much]
Any white helmet intervention should
1] Disarm the gangs and arrest their leaders.
2] Investigate all politicians and arrest those suspected of corruption.
3] Protect the people by doing both 1 and 2.
The solution at the moment seems to involve a lot of hot air and hope that the situation will magically disappear.
I usually leave this matter to Denise Oliver Velez due to her more in-depth knowledge, however I believe it bears restating.