Haiti - The iron grip of the gangs | DW Documentary

In Port-au-Prince, nearly three million people are living in the grips of all-out gang war. A film crew spent a fortnight filming in and around the Haitian capital and documented how regular people are suffering under this brutal gang rule.

Gangs now control more than 80% of the city. One of the most notorious gang leaders in the Haitian capital is Jimmy Chérizier, also known as "Barbecue”. He says the gangs won’t be laying down their arms any time soon. "We demand to be at the negotiating table,” he said, speaking from his stronghold in the slums of Port-au-Prince. "If not, we will continue to fight.” Barbecue is the frontman of a powerful alliance of various gangs in the capital. Instead of fighting each other, the armed groups have united and turned their firepower on the state, forcing prime minister Ariel Henry to resign during an overseas trip in March 2024.

Today, the gangs wield considerable economic and military leverage. They control most of Port-au-Prince’s seafront, and thus the zones surrounding the country’s strategically vital ports. Haiti relies heavily on imports, shipping in more than 50% of its food, a figure that is shocking for a country with an abundance of fertile land. Many Haitians blame corrupt, ultra-wealthy elites for the situation, accusing them of building their vast family fortunes via monopolies on staple goods.
In the shantytowns of Port-au-Prince, controlled by the gangs, there are thousands of people who are unable or unwilling to flee. Murders, kidnappings, gang rapes and fires are commonplace, with no end to the crisis in sight.

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