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Gang wars send Haiti into spiral of violence

The U.N. reports that murders and kidnappings in the Caribbean country have soared since last year.

Violence on the streets of Haiti has skyrocketed as a result of disputes between criminal gangs.

(Screenshot / RTVE Noticias)

Published by
Alejandro Baños

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Violence has taken to the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In the last few hours, at least a dozen people suspected of belonging to criminal gangs were burned by a mob in the streets of Haiti's capital.

This reaction by Haitians follows an increase in gang disputes and crime. Through a press release, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk denounced the situation and called on the international community to "urgently deploy a specialized support force with a specific time frame and a comprehensive and precise action plan.”

In the first quarter of 2023, gang violence has skyrocketed compared to last year. The U.N. reported the number of people killed from the Jan. 1 to March 15 at 531, while the number of wounded rose to 300 and the number of kidnappings to 277. Most of those killed or wounded were from random sniper fire, the agency said. It also warned of the lack of food and essential resources for citizens.

According to the list of countries by Human Development Index prepared by the UN, Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. It is estimated that around 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. This is compounded by the violence and lack of safety that is terrorizing the country's streets.

Vatican: "Haitians do not see their rights respected"

The Vatican warned about the violence on the Caribbean island. Maddalena Boschetti, a missionary in Haiti for more than two decades, explained that this crisis is "everybody against everybody":

The killings are barbaric, they are even done with a machete, people are reduced to nothing. It is a way to show other gangs what they are made of, to show that they stop at nothing, that they resort to torture, that there is no respect for human life.

He also denounced the lack of governmental control:

Haitians do not see their rights respected, they do not have the possibility to leave because they cannot get passports or visas. The price of the passport is sky high, everything is linked to the black market, it is very difficult to even approach the offices that deal with this. There are often very long queues outside, and there are even casualties due to the riots that are created. It is very complicated to get the go-ahead to go, I would say it is impossible, and that is why people are forced to stay, to stay in conditions in which a human being cannot live.
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