Haiti is currently facing a state of anarchy, with gangs fighting for control of the capital city while government leaders cower in exile. The most powerful and political gang leader is Jimmy Chérizier, better known by his alias “Barbecue.”
Many Haitians regard their government-in-exile as a criminal regime enabled by the United States’ apathy. The situation is so bad that some civilians see Chérizier as a revolutionary despite orchestrating prison breaks that have sicced an unknown number of murders and rapists on the populace. (RELATED: Heavily Armed Gangs Try To Seize Control Of Country’s Largest Airport)
Frustrated by the apparent inaction of the West, former U.N. official, pro-democracy activist and Haitian journalist Monique Clesca recently warned that the 1.5 million Haitian immigrants in the United States could oppose President Biden’s reelection.
An unverified video shared by Elon Musk and others purportedly showed members of Chérizier’s gang consuming a human corpse. Fact-checkers subsequently disproved the allegations, uncovering evidence that although the footage may show an act of cannibalism in Haiti, it took place two years ago involving different gangs fighting in the Artibonite Valley outside Port-au-Prince.
Nevertheless, the terror under which the 2.6 million Haitians living in that city’s metropolitan area feel is genuine. As is Chérizier’s use of terrorism to achieve his objectives. Despite likening himself to Martin Luther King Jr., Chérizier’s links to violent crime are widely known. These include the 24-hour killing spree in Port-au-Prince’s La Saline slum, resulting in the deaths of 71 people, multiple rapes and the destruction of 400 homes. (RELATED: US Troops Invade New, War-Torn Country)
Chérizier served in the Haitian National Police at the time. In November 2018, officials tasked his unit with suppressing protests calling for government reforms, which they did with machine guns and machetes.
Haiti has experienced instability throughout its history. In the 1960s, the Haitian government co-opted the infamous Tonton Macoutes gang, which committed atrocities against the civilian population in order to maintain the autocratic rule of Jean-Claude Duvalier. From 1915-34, U.S. military forces occupied the country to protect American financial and political interests. International coalitions have since intervened on multiple occasions to restore order.
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