By Jean-Philippe Austin
Dr. Austin is an oncologist in Miami and co-founder of the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy.
This is what I remember best from my childhood under the dictatorship in Haiti: fear.
We could never speak against the president for life, François Duvalier. My classmates, children of regime dignitaries, were dropped off at school by burly men armed with rifles. One night, some men came for our neighbor’s father, and no one ever saw him again. Sometimes we would pass by the National Palace and look away, too afraid to look into the grounds of the building.
It is distressing to see a new generation of Haitians living in terror. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the country’s network of gangs, some of which are sponsored by civil servants, have gained ground, weapons and audacity. Earlier this month, they formed a confederation and effectively launched war against the state, preventing Ariel Henry, the unelected and unpopular caretaker prime minister, from flying back into the country. They invaded the capital, orchestrated multiple prison breakouts, burned government buildings and police stations, and attacked the central bank.
I’m safe in Miami, but my parents and friends in Port-au-Prince told me that’s not the case. One of them was recently shot with his car; another fled his home after the neighborhood was taken over by gangs; another saw gang members shoot up his convenience store and threaten his employees; yet another saw his house burn to the ground. Most people I know there are terrified of running out of food and water.
Today, some of the individuals who are imposing this chaos and destruction are vying for power as Haiti’s next government takes shape. Haitians deserve better. Haitians have always deserved security and a say in the destiny of their country. They deserve to be led by people who represent the people and work to keep them safe – not by the criminals who have spread fear and misery year after year.
For several weeks, Haitian political parties, civil society organizations and diaspora groups have been negotiating what Haiti’s transitional government will be after the resignation of Prime Minister Henry, as he has committed to doing. Many are hoping for a representative council that can restore security, rebuild institutions and inspire the confidence of Haitians to vote for a new government in elections later this year. The Caribbean Community, or Caricom, negotiated, primarily over Zoom, the creation of a transitional presidential council, made up of democracy advocates and members of several political parties. This council will select a new interim prime minister.
As these negotiations take place, the violent leaders who control the streets of Port-au-Prince compete for legitimacy. Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue, whose gangs allegedly massacred and raped civilians, and Guy Philippe, who recently served a U.S. prison sentence for money laundering linked to drug trafficking, all show up both as freedom fighters and legitimate political leaders. They have said they will reject any internationally arranged deal, raising questions about how the Caricom-sponsored council will be able to regain control of the country.
Some Haiti observers say involving these criminal leaders in the country’s next phase of governance could help restore order. This is both a dangerous misunderstanding and a ridiculous idea: these are the men who are currently instigating violence to gain power. More than 1,500 Haitians have died in gang violence since the start of the year, according to a new United Nations report. When a bully is knocking everyone down, you shouldn’t give him what he wants and expect him to stop. He will always want more and will use violence to get it.
Haitians deserve to be governed by talented, capable, honest and technically competent people who have been hesitant, and often afraid, to participate in public life, which has been confiscated by a political class linked to criminality . The transitional government in formation must not include criminals, their deputies or any political party with links to drug trafficking, arms trafficking or gangs.
read more here:Opinion | Do Not Empower the Criminals in Haiti – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
