Pa gen fanfa, nanpwen kata
Welcome to the latest edition of Woy Magazine’s biweekly newsletter, providing you with must-know news and commentary on Haiti and our Diaspora.
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Pa gen gaz toujou
On 26 October , Jimmy Cherizier (a.k.a Barbecue), acknowledged that he and his criminal network were responsible for the recent fuel shortage. Having seized control of key territories around the sea ports (Martissant, La Saline and Cite Soleil), the G9 criminal network cut off access to the Varreux gas storage center, impeding fuel distribution yet again.
Alors que les transporteurs de produits pétroliers commençaient à alimenter les stations d'essence à Port-au-Prince via le terminal de Thor à Carrefour, les gangs armés à Martissant, qui avaient observé une trêve depuis le tremblement de terre le 14 août dernier, ont repris les affrontements. Pire. Quatre transporteurs et trois membres du personnel de soutien qui les accompagnaient ont été kidnappés dans la zone le 1er novembre dernier. La police nationale n’est toujours pas en mesure de récupérer les quatre camions-citernes immobilisés à Martissant 7. (Source: Le Nouvelliste)
Although the fuel supply disruptions are aimed at the political and business elite to prompt a resignation from de facto prime minister Ariel Henry, it is also harming many more.
A three day nationwide general strike was observed on 25-27 October, for two consecutive weeks of protests. Called for by transportation unions, they demanded the government answer to the fuel shortage and insecurity issues that have been crippling the country.
While most folks were asleep on the early morning of 29 October, de facto prime minister Ariel Henry aired a pre-recorded speech on the fuel and insecurity situation. In it he said that the police had organized a corridor through which the fuel could be safely transported, making it sound like the problem was resolved.
In reality, fuel remains unavailable at gas stations due to continued gang related disruptions.
Fuel is a critical resource in Haiti as it in all countries; powering transportation and every day lives alike. The matter is much more serious in Haiti however, where the electrical grid is extremely unreliable and leaves those who can afford it to rely on diesel or gasoline powered generators; lest they be left with no power at all for weeks, if not months at a time.
That means businesses, hospitals, government offices and private citizens all rely on the fuel being held up to function on a daily basis; for both electricity and transportation. While this makes an obvious case in favor of energy independence in the form of renewable technologies (both in the transportation sector and the energy sector); how can such decisions be agreed upon, implemented and secured where the state fails to establish political stability at the most basic level, with an illegitimate and impotent government at its helm?
As it stands, fuel is heavily subsidized in Haiti regressively (at the gas stations) when most Haitians do not own cars nor have a generator at home. Revisiting the subsidy properly would entail subsidizing where poor Haitians spend like for transportation, while letting the rich pay more at the pump.
Gang Crisis
In a surprisingly candid interview, Youri Mevz (the owner of Shodecosa, Haiti largest industrial park and the Secretary General of Senator Your Latortue’s political party AAA) laid bare how some businesses and politicians interact with the gangs . Mevz and other businesses people explain the strategies they employ to protect their businesses feeding the gang's stronghold on the country.
Refuse, and Shodecosa would be ransacked, and the gangs also would block the roads around the port terminal owned by the Mevs family.
Mevs knew the threat was credible. It came down to math: “How much do we make? Can we afford it?” The answer was no.
Should she fight back? Again, no. “We are not going to shoot a gun to defend a bag of rice.”
Having lost their meal ticket, the government, the gangs have become independent predators. While some turned to kidnapping, like those who captured 17 missionaries and their relatives, Barbecue’s men took control of the port district, gaining a stranglehold on the country’s economy. (Source: AP News)
In a piece by Etant Dupain, we discussed the role gangs have played in politics, and how politicians have used them to serve their interests.
Olrich Jean Pierre, an anti government corruption activist shared his understanding of the situation, “No one should be shocked about the resurgence of violence in the last few months. We are used to PHTK’s tactics. Whenever a movement seems to be starting, the violence resurges. Today it is more dire because the government has used the federation of gangs to create panic, and to stop people from mobilizing. All of this violence is because those in power do not want protests to start after the publishing of the latest PetroCaribe report that clearly shows the ways many leaders in the PHTK government wasted these funds. This is why these groups of gangs are attacking working-class neighborhoods, where most mobilizing happens. (Source: Woy Magazine)
UN interventions and NGOs have also contributed to solidifying gang presence in Haitian society. This is explained plainly in Djems Olivier's piece for NACLA.
In my research in various marginalized neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince in recent years, I have observed the disorganization of community groups and a chaotic management of aid intended for poor populations. I use the concept of archipelization to explain this phenomenon. Archipelization refers to the fragmentation of precarious neighborhoods not only by the action of NGOs that compensate for the absence of the state, but also by the emergence of armed gangs who impose themselves as informal authorities. These two main actors, NGOs and armed gangs, are motivated by their own interests: NGOs try to remedy the shortcomings of the state through projects financed by international donors, while the armed gangs, following a survival logic, ensure the distribution of food rations to poor families and organize sports and sociocultural activities. This co-management strategy contributes to territorial fragmentation whereby an archipelago of neighborhoods ends up beyond the control of the central state and local authorities, who become figure heads. (Source: NACLA)
After the murder of de facto President Jovenel Moise, the gangs were emboldened; taking matters into their own hands and imposing themselves further. Normally they responded to the bidding of politicians and business people, but the late President's death shifted the behavior of all political actors; and the gangs were no different.
With that, schools and students are becoming increasingly targeted for robbery and ransom though this has been the case for some time.
Abinader and co lash out
On 3 November, the Dominican Vice minister for consular affairs announced that the Dominican Republican would be suspending Haitian student visas, in an effort to curb the rising number of immigrants from Haiti. This followed a tweet from the Dominican Republic’s president, Luis Abinader, imploring the international community to take action to help Haiti with the security crisis it is currently facing. The Dominican president even went as far as posting on social media calling for foreign intervention in Haiti, tagging Biden, Trudeau and Macron.
Haiti’s political divisions, gang violence and dire poverty are making it a source of “regional insecurity” that the global community cannot afford to ignore, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said Wednesday. (Source: Bloomberg)
This was met with criticism from people in both countries who pointed to the Dominican president's audacity in calling for an intervention on another sovereign nation.
Unsurprisingly, this already led to further crackdowns and violations on Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. One newspaper reports that Dominican hospitals are now limiting access to Haitians, except for cases of emergency.
Panama and Costa Rica have also joined DR in its call for assistance with migrants from Haiti. As Haitians continue to flee what the country has become in search of a better life where they are not so welcome.
Meanwhile, the deportation of asylum seekers continue from the US, with the 80th flight since 19 September departing on 4 November.
Fèt Gede
Despite the current situation in the country, November 1 and 2 saw revellers in several parts of the country take to the streets to celebrate Haiti’s annual festival of the dead known as Fèt Gede. A cultural mainstay, it is also celebrated in Mexico and Latin communities as Día de Muertos. It is a celebration to pay respect to those who have died and to the spirts belonging to the Gede family.
(Source: AP News)
(Source: AP News)
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Jeudi of Bosal Mizik, released an encouraging anthem entitled "Limyè" last week. "Limyè se yon ti moso lespwa pou nou kontinye vanse sou yon wout ki anvayi ak fènwè; ann kontinye reziste paske tout chimen nou pran se chimen Limyè..."