Haitian gangs have taken over schools, clinics, and foundations in the absence of a functioning government, while using their criminal activities to amass wealth and live luxuriously, according to a comprehensive United Nations report. The 156-page report, published on Wednesday, highlights the growing strength, wealth, and autonomy of the gangs. It points to the lucrative arms trafficking from the United States as the source of their deadly arsenals. The report criticizes the ineffectual UN arms embargo and the lack of response from countries in tracing seized firearms.
The capital of Haiti has become a hotspot for gangs, particularly due to the consolidation and alliance of the G9 and G-Pep groups. At the same time, violence in crucial agricultural regions in the north has escalated. The report finds that gangs frequently resort to rape, terrorizing victims and using it as a means of extortion to control resources and demand money. Indiscriminate killings and hundreds of kidnappings, with ransoms reaching up to $500,000 for foreigners and prominent individuals, are also attributed to the gangs.
Gang leaders have established social foundations to project positive images, while also using social media to flaunt their luxurious lifestyles and intimidate others with videos depicting torture and mutilation, according to the report. Haiti’s national police force, already underfunded, is described as “grossly understaffed” and lacking adequate training and equipment.
Since April, a self-defense movement known as Bwa Kale has executed hundreds of suspected gang members. However, the report holds the movement responsible for committing crimes and giving rise to new gangs. The influence of gangs in Haiti has expanded significantly in recent years, leading to mass migration, internal displacements, and extreme hunger for millions of people.
In response to the crisis, the United Nations has ratified the deployment of an international force to support Haiti’s police at the request of the government. However, few countries have committed personnel, and the deployment is yet to take place.
Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Sandra Maler
