Haiti: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy
ArchiveApr 25, 2023
Thirteen suspected gang members were burned to death Monday by a mob in Haiti's capital after being seized while police searched their vehicle. The suspects were reportedly beaten with gasoline-soaked tires before being set alight in Port-au-Prince.
The violence was a grim reminder of the lawless situation in Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs have taken control over an estimated 60% of the city since the July 2021 assassination of Pres. Jovenel Moïse.
The political, social, and humanitarian situation in Haiti has deteriorated since Moïse's assassination. The National Police has been challenged by gangs with control over territory, highways, ports, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Homicides and kidnappings are up, and gang-related violence is threatening national security and stability. Haiti needs more foreign assistance to resolve its problems.
The Security Council is suffering from Haiti fatigue. Nothing is moving forward. There is a reluctance to send foreign troops to Haiti because of a deepening skepticism that Haiti can prosper, even with billions of dollars of foreign aid and security support. It also dredges up bad memories about an earlier UN peacekeeping mission, whose blue helmets were involved in a serious cholera outbreak and became embroiled in a series of sexual exploitation scandals.
There is a 50% chance that Haiti will become a World Bank upper middle-income country by January 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.