Toussaint Louverture International Airport and its surroundings appear to be the new target of armed criminal gangs spawned and tolerated by the PHTK regime in power in Haiti for more than 13 years.
The mission entrusted to them has not yet ended.
And Haitian companies must choose between 1)Forcibly cooperate with gangs, 2) Passively resist, 3) Leave, 4) Actively collaborate, or 5) Provide community support to help reduce gang influence and improve local living conditions.
Faced with threats from armed criminal gangs in Haiti, the General Director of the subsidiary of the Vietnamese company, Natcom, Nguyen Huy Dung, affirms that he and his collaborators want to appear as ” warriors spreading the image of a courageous, responsible and compassionate Vietnamese people. «
A steady stream of bullets along with the raging screams of the population were like harsh scissors cutting through the otherwise calm night in Haiti – a small island nation located in the middle of the beautiful Caribbean Gulf, he explains in Vietnam’s online newspaper “ Cafef.vn ».
“Someone opened fire in front of the branch door. They are very numerous and aggressive. Please give me a solution,” says the manager of a Natcom branch to the general director of Natcom (Viettel Haiti) Nguyen Huy Dung who received a phone call from a colleague hundreds of kilometers away. of the.
In March 2024, a series of Vietnamese and world newspapers reported on the tense war situation in Haiti. Not only in the province but also in the capital Port-au-Prince, violence and disorder have reached their peak. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, this Central American island nation has been continually divided and under the control of gangs, the Vietnamese newspaper notes.
While many other foreign companies evacuated their employees, Viettel Haiti remained resilient and supported the local population, according to the Director of Natcom.
And after analyzing and determining, in relation to the armed attack on the branch, that it was simply an activity aimed at putting pressure on the armed gangs to collect money, General Manager Nguyen Huy Dung says he encouraged his brothers to remain calm and stay inside the branch. At the same time, a telephone line was set up to request help from the local police, specifies the text of Cafef.vn.
Natcom, like many other Haitian companies, faced with the threats of armed criminal gangs born, tolerated and protected by the PHTK regime in power for more than 13 years in Haiti and surrounding the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, has the choice between different behaviors in areas controlled by gang leaders Barbecue« Jeff Canaan « , Bad Dog, Death 100 Days, Izo 5 Seconds, Vitelhomme Innocent, etc….
In fact, the Telecom operator which now presents itself as holding 52% of the market of Telecommunications in Haiti and as having had a growth of 36% in 2023 despite the catastrophic situation in the country, had to choose between:
Forced cooperation with gangs, that is to say cooperating under duress with gangs to ensure their safety or to be able to continue their commercial activities. Passive Resistance, that is to say remain active but adopt a passive attitude towards gangs, hoping to be left alone.
Closing and leaving the Haitian market: Faced with constant threats, closing your doors or moving to another country An active collaboration:, that is to say actively collaborating with gangs, whether out of fear or economic opportunism. Support for the community locale that is, getting involved in community development programs to help reduce the influence of gangs and improve local living conditions. Each option carries its own risks and implications, and the decision often depends on internal and external factors
An examination of these different behaviors in the face of armed gangs highlights the following risks and implications, advantages and disadvantages for each attitude that the Vietnamese company could adopt in Haiti:
Forced cooperation: Risks: Increased risk of violence, extortion and involvement in illegal activities. Implications: Loss of commercial autonomy, risk for the company’s reputation.
Advantages: Ability to continue operations, reduction of immediate risk to personnel and property. Disadvantages: Impairment of moral integrity, risk of legal action, long-term damage to reputation. Passive resistance: Risks: Constant threats, intimidation, increased risk of violence. Implications: May be seen as a sign of weakness by gangs, risk of reprisals. Advantages: Maintaining autonomy, preserving moral integrity. Disadvantages: High risk to safety of personnel and assets, disruption of business operations, loss of revenue. Closure and abandonment of the market : Risks: Loss of investment, closure costs, difficulties in finding a new market. Implications: Loss of jobs for the local community, impact on the local economy. Benefits: Reduced security risk, preservation of company reputation. Disadvantages: Significant financial costs, disruption of business operations, negative impact on the community. Collaboration active: Risks: Complicity in illegal activities, increased risk of violence. Implications: Risk of legal action, long-term reputational damage. Benefits: Access to increased protection, potential economic opportunities. Disadvantages: Risk of legal sanctions, impairment of moral integrity, long-term reputational damage. Community Support: Risks: Negative reactions from gangs, risk of reprisals. Implications: Can strengthen the bond between the business and the local community, but can also be seen as a threat by gangs. Advantages: Positive contribution to community development, improvement of the company’s reputation. Disadvantages: Risk to the safety of personnel and property, financial costs for community development programs. The greatest difficulty facing the Natcom network in Haiti lies in the targeted attacks of armed criminal gangs, estimates the CEO of Natcom.
Each behavior carries its own set of risks and rewards, and Natcom appears to have weighed these factors carefully based on its specific situation.
The history of the Viettel branch in Haiti presented by the Vietnamese online newspaper Cafef.vn would be just one of the countless situations that the people of Viettel experienced when they “globalized”. Natural disasters, disasters and sometimes even being surrounded by guns, but Viettel officials say they want to stand their ground despite the audacity of armed gangs.
Viettel’s trip to Haiti is often referred to as the story “from disaster to miracle”, while the terrible earthquake of 2010 in Haiti could not prevent the Viettels from investing in this country on the American continent, notes the newspaper.
According to Natcom General Manager Nguyen Huy Dung, although the Haitian market has only two network operators, Viettel’s business here is still in a difficult and unstable state.
More recently, lavNatcom has faced three major challenges: riots that destroyed network infrastructure, fuel shortages and the absence of a power grid. Viettel Haiti had to run on solar energy.
However, the greatest difficulty facing the Natcom network in Haiti lies in targeted attacks by gangs, believes the Director General of Natcom.
Célimène Fratus
