On the 30th of last month, residents suffering from gang violence in the Pernier district of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, leave the city./Reuters Yonhap News
On the 30th of last month (local time), what appeared to be a family was evacuating with a nursing baby in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, an island nation in the Caribbean. A sack containing household utensils was placed on top of the head. Even children who look younger than elementary school students seem to have a hard time carrying heavy loads. The fact that they were only carrying simple household utensils gives you an idea of how urgent the situation was. Recently, anti-government protests have been intensifying in Haiti, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry (74). The looting by gangsters is as threatening to the people as the protests. It has become an anarchic country that has lost normal national functions amid extreme security instability.
As anti-government protests intensified in Haiti, an island nation in the Caribbean, on the 5th, a resident moved with his family and household items on a motorcycle. / Reuters Yonhap News
Haiti, with a population of 11 million, has never been a country so devastated. It was Europe’s largest producer of sugar cane and coffee through plantation agriculture. The total number of workers for this was 700,000. Although it gained independence from French colonial rule, in the process, white plantation owners either died or fled to their home countries, preventing the export of sugar cane and coffee. Haitians grew and produced sugar cane and coffee, but did not know how to export them. As the list piles up, the national economy plummets. Meanwhile, an earthquake in 2010 killed 300,000 people and left 1.8 million homeless. Even in the midst of a national disaster, corrupt politicians and officials enriched themselves by adding donations from various countries.
In July 2021, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was killed by gunmen who attacked his private home. Martin, his wife, was also shot in the arm. After more than two years of investigation, Haitian prosecutors alleged that Martin was involved in the murder. Prosecutors presented conflicting statements from witnesses and another suspect’s claim that she wanted to take over as president. The current Prime Minister Henri, who was appointed two days before the assassination of the president, even took on the role of interim president despite questions about his legitimacy.
A police officer points a gun at protesters during a protest calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in Port-au-Prince on the 7th./AFP Yonhap News
Since Prime Minister Henry came to power, around 80 policemen have been killed by gangs until recently, but the response of the police authority has been lukewarm. Currently, there are more than 100 armed gangs in Haiti, and they control 60% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. In September 2022, members of the Haitian G9 gang (a union of the nine most powerful gangs in Port-au-Prince) blocked a fuel depot and cut off the fuel supply, paralyzing the city. The leader of the gang appeared on television and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Henry.
The joint gang ‘G9’ against the Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henri. / Reuters Yonhap News
The protests that have been held since the 5th are because Prime Minister Henry, who promised to transfer power by February 7, 2024, has not given up. Meanwhile, gangs are looting supermarkets under the guise of protesters. Gangs extort money from residents in the name of taxes and commit murder, kidnapping and sexual assault. The people of Haiti are experiencing a triple whammy of being surrounded by corrupt and incompetent politicians, ruthless bureaucrats, and gangs.
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