Haiti’s Government Deteriorates while Gang Violence Soars

By Julia Moran

In the past year, Haiti has been in a politically fragile state, with its government today being nearly nonexistent.[1] This fragility did not occur overnight, rather it has steadily increased since the assassination of Haiti’s last-elected president in 2021.[2] According to its Constitution, Haiti has a republican-style representative government, composed of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch.[3] The executive branch is comprised of “The President of the Republic, who is the Head of State” and “The Government, which is headed by a Prime Minister.”[4] The President is elected by popular vote and appoints the Prime Minister who is then ratified by the Parliament.[5] The legislative branch consists of two houses, the House of Deputies, which has four-year terms, and the Senate, which has six-year terms.[6]

            In 2021, following the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse,[7] Prime Minister Ariel Henry took over the presidential duties.[8] Haiti’s Constitution states that in the case of a presidential vacancy, an election shall be held within 90 days.[9] That period expired without an election being held.[10] Many of the legislative seats remain vacant as a result of the  cancelled 2019 elections.[11] “Its Senate is supposed to have 30 members, and its lower legislative chamber should have 119; all of those seats are unfilled.”[12] In January of 2023, the terms ended for Haiti’s ten remaining senators.[13] Elections to fill these vacancies have been repeatedly cancelled.[14] Prime Minister Henry has called for elections to happen this October, hoping to swear in a new government in early 2024.[15] For now, Haiti has a largely empty government, with the few members still in office not having been democratically elected.[16]

            While the government has deteriorated, gang violence has risen.[17] Haiti has over 200 noted gangs, with the main gang alliance between the G9 an Fanmi e Alye and the GPèp la.[18] With the government weakened, these gangs have been overtaking the country through “warfare, sieges, and extortion.”[19] Many Haitians are living in fear, as gangs terrorize their towns, block main roadways, and limit access to basic living necessities such as food and shelter.[20] In 2022, the G9 seized Haiti’s main highways, hindering the ability to travel or distribute resources across the country.[21] Today, many roads are blocked by bandits, who demand payment to pass.[22] Families are forced to flee in the night, leaving most of their possessions behind as Homes are burnt down.[23] Earlier this year, it was estimated that gang violence has displaced over 150,000 Haitians.[24] Gangs have been killing families, raping women, kidnapping people, and shooting parents in front of their children “coldly, deliberately, without hesitation or an ounce of compassion.”[25] In 2023, a survey of Haitians revealed that more than one-third of respondents knew someone in their town, family, or work who had been killed.[26] Hospitals have closed out of fear of gang violence, while others are understaffed because practitioners refuse to go to work.[27]

Rising gang violence leaves Haiti in a vulnerable state. Courtesy to Odelyn Joseph, AP.

            Police efforts to stop these monstrosities in Haiti have been unsuccessful.[28] “The Haitian National Police (PNH) and Haitian politicians, both deeply interconnected with the gangs, are no longer able to hold the criminals on a leash.”[29] The police are understaffed and underequipped, leaving two options: try to stop the gangs and risk being killed, or collude with the gang for safety.[30] Many have chosen the latter, resulting in gang infiltration of the police force.[31]

            Prime Minister Henry has asked for foreign military intervention, but none of note has been provided.[32] When the devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, many organizations globally stepped in to help stabilize the country, with efforts largely led by the United Nations.[33] But now, as Haiti is being overtaken by violence, very little is being done.[34] In a survey taken in early 2023, 70% of Haitians supported an “international force” coming in to help.[35] Many are looking to the United States, “which occupied Haiti for 15 years in the 20th century, which wrote its constitution, which stored Haiti’s money in its banks” to step in.[36] However, intervening in this matter is “a perfect example of the kind of complex nation-building exercise the Biden administration doesn’t want to engage in.”[37] So now, many Haitians are left vulnerable as they live in constant terror of being displaced, starved, or killed.[38] A global effort needs to be held to stabilize Haiti and stop these senseless acts of violence from continuing.[39]

[1] See generally Haiti: Surge in Violent Abuses, Hum. Rts. Watch (2023), https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/14/haiti-surge-violent-abuses.

[2] Id.

[3] Constitution of Haiti, art. 59.

[4] Id. at art. 133.

[5] Id. at arts. 58 and 137.

[6] Id. at arts. 88, 92, and 95.

[7] Haiti president’s assassination: What we know so far, BBC News (2023), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57762246.

[8] Haiti appoints Ariel Henry as new prime minister after president’s assassination, France 24 (2021), https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210720-haiti-appoints-ariel-henry-as-new-prime-minister-after-president-s-assassination.

[9] Constitution of Haiti, art. 149.

[10] Becky Sullivan, As its only remining elected officials depart, Haiti reaches a breaking point, NPR (2023), https://www.npr.org/2023/01/18/1149556481/haiti-last-elected-official-political-crisis.

[11] Widlore Mérancourt & Amanda Coletta, Senators’ departure leaves Haiti without an elected government, The Washington Post (2023), https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/21/haiti-democracy-crisis/.

[12] Sullivan, supra note 10.

[13] Id.

[14] Id.

[15] Id.

[16] Luke Taylor, Haiti left with no elected government officials as it spirals toward anarchy, The Guardian (2023), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/haiti-no-elected-officials-anarchy-failed-state.

[17] Caitlin Hu, Gang violence is tearing Haiti apart. Here’s what to know, CNN (2023), https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/americas/haiti-violence-explained-intl/index.html.

[18] Vanda Felbab-Brown, Haiti in 2023: Political abyss and vicious gangs, Brookings (2023) https://www.brookings.edu/articles/haiti-in-2023-political-abyss-and-vicious-gangs/.

[19] Id.

[20] Mitch Albom, As Haiti descends into hell, the world watches, does nothing, Detroit Free Press (2023), https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2023/09/03/haiti-gangs-kidnappings-descruction-travel-us-embassy-world-watches/70750688007/#.

[21] Vanda Felbab-Brown, supra note 18.

[22] Albom, supra note 20.

[23] Id.

[24] Sullivan, supra note 10.

[25] Albom, supra note 20.

[26] Sarah Morland, Around 70% of Haitians back international force to fight gangs, survey says, Reuters (2023), https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/around-70-haitians-back-international-force-fight-gangs-survey-says-2023-02-04/.

[27] Albom, supra note 20.

[28] Vanda Felbab-Brown, supra note 18.

[29] Id.

[30] Id.

[31] Id.

[32] Sullivan, supra note 10.

[33] Albom, supra note 20.

[34] See generally Albom, supra note 20.

[35] Morland, supra note 26.

[36] Albom, supra note 20.

[37] Vanda Felbab-Brown, supra note 18.

[38] See generally Haiti: Surge in Violent Abuses, supra note 1.

[39] Id.