Haiti’s most notorious gang leader says criminal gangs unleashed their wave of violence “because the government let these things happen.”
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier led the gangs that succeeded in forcing the country’s former prime minister, Ariel Henry, to resign, following numerous popular protests in 2023.
In recent months, several cases of shocking violence have been reported on the streets of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
In an interview with NPR, Cherizier was asked why gangs extort the poor, women are raped and houses are burned.
He replied: “Everything you are saying right now is true. But all the extortion and abuse is because the government allowed these things to happen.
The terrorist leader claimed that Haitian leaders were to blame, but he also argued that the American government had some “responsibility”.
The report adds: “Corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence, have eroded the rule of law and undermined state institutions, which should be the basis of a democratic society on the verge of collapse.
The report, released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), also indicates that more than 1,500 people have been killed by gang violence in 2024, on track to increase the total ‘last year.
Haiti gang leader claims criminals raping and killing because ‘government allows it’ (msn.com)
