The escalation of violence day by day through the testimony of Maurizio Barcaro.
Monday, March 4th
The dawn lights pierce through the smoke left in the air by the violent rampages of the weekend. Well-coordinated attacks carried out by gangs of criminals have spread panic and anguish in the capital Port-au-Prince from Saturday to Sunday and continue even today. Police stations in Bon Repos, Cazo, and Portay Leogane have been stormed and set on fire, policemen killed or fled, two armored vehicles seized by the gangs. The two prisons in the city assaulted, and thousands of prisoners liberated. The Police Academy and the airport assaulted as a diversion for launching further attacks.
Now, a state of emergency has been declared by the police chief with a corresponding curfew for approximately one month. There’s talk of an imminent attack on the Presidential Palace itself and the Police Academy, where future policemen are recruited and trained.
This morning, there’s dismay among professors and young people working on the mission. What has happened is unbelievable, and nobody dares to think about what will happen now. There are no primary school children at school, but high school students are arriving, which gives courage. Passersby say everything is blocked, the streets are deserted and strewn with remnants of barricades, no vehicles, only motorcycles or people on foot.
Warehouses and banks dare not open for fear of being looted, and not even the numerous street vendors ‘Madame Sarah’ selling goods on the roadside are seen. These are days of fear and caution. It seems that the airport was open yesterday, but several airlines have canceled flights until further notice.
In the 30 years I’ve been here, I’ve seen many dark Mondays, but like this one, where even hope struggles to remain, is surely the first. It’s unclear whether the Prime Minister, who went to Kenya to negotiate the intervention of Kenyan police in Haiti, will return or not. There’s no sense of support from any institution for peace; on the contrary, there’s a clear impression that these gangs are plotting a full-blown coup. It’s clear that the local police cannot contain their action; these gangs are now like a well-armed army. They outnumber the police, who are now demotivated, and thanks to this new coalition, they are gaining ground. We’re in full-blown anarchy.
We continue to be present, although fear is not lacking. And here I speak for myself; at this moment, it’s impossible to leave the country, it’s impossible to travel those 7-8 kilometers that separate us from the airport. There’s no main road that isn’t patrolled by bandits.
Don’t try to find logic in all this; the action of these gangs themselves, with their apparent ambition to seize power, is illogical. I imagine that what’s happening in the capital will have serious repercussions even in provincial cities, and there will be even more shortages of food and necessities.
Friday, March 8th
Since late February, the day the gangs joined forces, they have been looting, vandalizing, and in some cases even setting fire to businesses, a school for children with disabilities, universities, hotels, supermarkets, warehouses, homes, offices, and government buildings. They also attacked banks and freed around 3,500 prisoners, who are now expected to join the gangs. The International Airport has been attacked several times, but the Police and Army have managed to repel the assaults and are still guarding the airport, which remains closed to the public. It’s hard to know how many people have died or been injured this past week, not to mention the thousands of families who have fled the worst-hit areas, looking for temporary shelter far from the gangs.
Monday, March 11th
Today, CARICOM — like a UN for the Caribbean — met and announced that Prime Minister Ariel Henry will step down once a coalition of political leaders and civil society members is formed. Right away, the powerful gang leader known as Barbecue rejected the idea, saying that “the children of Dessalines” (the country’s liberator from slavery and its founder) must decide their own future, and no “white person” can speak for them. From what we see here, any agreement CARICOM reaches won’t be respected by these gangs.
Wednesday, March 13th – An unhuman humanity
The President of Kenya has announced that he will not send troops until a coordinating body is set up to take control of Haiti, as suggested by CARICOM. So, while other countries try to tell Haitians what to do, here we are again in pure anarchy.
These days of relative calm feel more like a pause to prepare for something worse. Meanwhile, people are hoping banks and businesses will reopen. Basic necessities, food, and medicine are scarce. Fuel is missing, prices are already rising, and famine and looting are on the horizon. The power plant doesn’t provide even an hour of electricity! Those lucky enough to have generators or solar panels can’t run them without fuel, and solar panels become a danger because gangs see them as targets.
At the same time, reports come in that DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, is increasing coastal surveillance, expecting an influx of desperate Haitians. The same goes for Cuba, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic, which has not only closed its land and air borders but is also deporting Haitians who were already there before the chaos began. On one hand, I understand they are probably afraid, but on the other, it’s revolting to see humanity like this—refusing even to lend a temporary hand to people in need.
Saturday, March 16th – Haiti: In Pursuit of the Promised Land
With America tied up in wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the United Nations and CARICOM busy just talking, the hope that the world will turn its attention back to Haiti is very far off—unless there is a massacre soon.
Haiti is a people constantly searching for the promised land in the desert. A people on a journey, struggling to find the right path to live in peace, safety, and prosperity. A people who certainly bear some responsibility for what is happening, but who are also unlucky, as biblical disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and diseases strike here frequently. A people who have lived for years in a perpetual Lent, waiting for an Easter that seems never to come.
Friday, April 12th – A Flicker of Hope
For about ten days, the wave of crime that hit the capital between February and March has calmed down a bit. There are still reports of clashes between police and armed gangs, or shootings between gangs, but it’s nothing compared to the weeks of terror that the new ‘Huns’ brought to Port-au-Prince.
The presence of these gangs continues to suffocate daily life and remains a constant threat to the country’s stability. It’s a miracle that the local police have somehow managed to keep the airport, the port, and the Presidential Palace relatively secure, even though the airport is still closed.
Prices for everything are rising, no containers have arrived or departed since early March, and supplies are running out. The same goes for fuel, which is now only available on the black market. The free trade zone along the Haiti–Dominican Republic border, where informal trade continues, is the only route ensuring the arrival of food and fuel.
Finally, a Transition Council has been formed, made up of various political leaders, as suggested by CARICOM. It is now expected to elect a Prime Minister, who will guide the country toward the Presidential Elections. Once this Transition Council begins operating, a UN military intervention could become possible, although Barbecue already declared some time ago that he would not accept the Council, claiming it is made up of corrupt members, some of whom years ago even participated in forming criminal gangs in the country.
Thursday, April 25th – Resilience
“If you only knew how hungry we were… Your donation put a 32-tooth smile on our faces! On Monday, schools reopened, and today we also restarted the lunch program. This was thanks to our collaborators who, with the streets free, were able to recover a truckload of goods that had been blocked by the gangs. Next Monday, we will also distribute 300 food packages to the families of our students. Thank you, friends of PRO.SA, for standing by our side at all times!”
