August 17th 2023.
Jimmy Chérizier, a former Haitian police officer, is now the most powerful gang leader in the country. On Wednesday, Aug. 16, he called on the citizens of Haiti to fight back against the deployment of foreign armed forces.
“We are asking the population to rise up,” Chérizier declared. “Our fight is to save the dignity of our country, and we will fight till our last breath.”
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has discussed plans to ask for foreign assistance to help combat an increase in gang violence throughout the country. According to the Associated Press, 80% of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is reported to be under gang control.
The presence of foreign forces has historically been met with distrust in Haiti. This is due to the numerous allegations of sexual assault and accidental poisoning of the country’s water supply by the United Nations. Therefore, many Haitians are opposed to the idea of more foreigners coming in without a focus on the corrupt government officials that have long terrorized their citizens.
“We will applaud any foreign force that comes to help and provide security for life to start over again,” Chérizier said.
The violence in Haiti has displaced over 200,000 people who have been forced to seek refuge from warring gangs flooding the streets with bullets. Chérizier, who has been accused of inciting several massacres in recent years, is now under U.N sanctions for allegedly “engaging in acts that threaten the peace, security, and stability of Haiti and has planned, directed, or committed acts that constitute serious human rights abuses.”
Though he has called a truce with an opposing gang, G-Pep, there are still grave concerns for civilian safety and the future of Haiti. The country has long been depleted of resources and fallen under tyrannical rule, meaning that it is in desperate need of foreign assistance.
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