Gang leaders in Haiti seized social media last weekend, signaling impending chaos.
And they followed through.
“Those who act recklessly in the streets will face repercussions starting tomorrow,” declared Joseph Wilson, a gang chief known as Lanmou Sanjou, in a widely shared audio message on Sunday.
He represented Viv Ansanm — a coalition of gangs that euphemistically calls itself “Living Together” — which has instilled fear across Haiti for several months, and pledged that they would be “in the streets.”
Within just 48 hours, at least three U.S. planes came under fire, leading to the closure of Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and leaving travelers stranded worldwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration halted all U.S. flights to Haiti for a month, while American Airlines announced it would not resume operations until at least February. Even United Nations humanitarian flights faced grounding.
The chaos extended beyond the airport: Dr. Deborah Pierre, a urologist, was shot dead on Tuesday as she entered her vehicle in Port-au-Prince, and her father, a dentist, sustained injuries, as reported by her former supervisor in South Florida, Dr. Angelo Gousse.
Doctors Without Borders reported that employees were halted by police on Monday and subsequently tear-gassed by a vigilante mob. Wounded patients being transported in an ambulance — suspected gang members — were killed.
Amidst this turmoil, a new prime minister was inaugurated Monday afternoon to succeed the one dismissed Sunday after barely six months in office.
Nearly six months after hundreds of Kenyan police personnel arrived in Haiti as part of a U.S.-backed mission to restore order, the situation has markedly deteriorated.
Gangs in the country have vividly shown that they are a significant power and that attempts to suppress them have primarily failed.
As a new U.S. president known for negative remarks regarding Haiti prepares to take office, the situation grows more alarming and unpredictable.
“It’s not a return to our previous state — it’s worsened,” stated Sister Paésie Philippe, a French nun who oversees schools for street children in Cité Soleil, a impoverished area in the capital. “More territories have fallen to gang control, more individuals have been forced to flee and are now homeless. It’s not improved.”
According to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency, nearly 4,500 people have been displaced from their residences in just the last two days.
Philippe was returning to Port-au-Prince from a trip to Boise, Idaho, when gunfire targeted a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince on Monday, and her connecting flight was canceled. She now finds herself stranded in New York, yet is determined to return home for a Holy Communion ceremony this coming weekend.
“My kids are waiting for me there,” she remarked.
Haiti has been engulfed in chaos for over three years, following the assassination of its last president, Jovenel Moïse, in his residence. Gangs took advantage of the resulting power vacuum, dominating roads and ports, and engaging in killings and kidnappings at will.
The crisis escalated this year, as rival gangs united to attack police stations, liberate prisoners, and seize entire neighborhoods. According to the United Nations, gangs control 85% of the capital.
A transitional presidential council with nine members was formed to govern until scheduled elections at the end of 2025, but the tenuous coalition has begun to unravel.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, issued a statement that included a subtle critique of the self-serving power maneuvers believed to be fueling the political instability.
“The urgent and immediate requirements of the Haitian populace necessitate that the transitional government put governance ahead of the conflicting personal interests of political figures,” Miller stated.
Leslie Voltaire, president of the transitional council, indicated that the gangs acted out following the prime minister’s dismissal, sensing a power vacuum and opportunity.
“They perceived a void, so they endeavored to fill it,” Voltaire said in a Wednesday night interview. “But once they realize there is a new prime minister, a new authority in place, I believe they will become less aggressive.”
Voltaire expressed hope for collaboration with the FAA to reopen the airport and mentioned plans for “significant retaliation” against the gangs in Haiti.
The council he leads released a statement Tuesday asserting that “The offenders of these despicable actions will be pursued and held accountable,” in reference to the attacks on airplanes, property destruction, and recent homicides in the capital.
“I believe the gangs are testing their strength to see how far they can push without the U.S. intervening,” stated Wolf Pamphile, founder of the Haiti Policy House, a research organization in Washington.
Highlighting the power gangs hold in Haiti, analysts remarked that even U.S. Ambassador Dennis B. Hankins acknowledged that communication with them was occurring.
Due to the significant uptick in violence this week, the embassy has shut its doors. The ambassador was overseas when the airport shut down and has been unable to return.
The United States remains the primary financial supporter of the international force intended to assist in restoring order. The force, which is mainly composed of Kenyan police, has faced underfunding and understaffing, leaving the population unimpressed with their effectiveness.
Experts assert that the multinational security force’s inability to achieve immediate significant victories, such as reclaiming gang-dominated neighborhoods, has emboldened the gangs to reemerge after a temporary retreat.
Monday’s assaults on U.S. aircraft were likely the gang coalition’s effort to assert their strength and vie for influence, experts noted.
“I think they are fundamentally trying to gain power or at least negotiate for power,” remarked Robert Fatton Jr., a government and foreign affairs professor at the University of Virginia. “Ultimately, if the situation continues to worsen, they will be positioned to negotiate, whether one agrees or not.”
An additional 600 police officers are expected to arrive in Haiti soon, though it remains uncertain whether their travel will be hindered by the airport’s closure.
Louis-Henri Mars, who operates a peace-building organization, Lakou Lapè, in Port-au-Prince, stated that the Haitian National Police lack the capacity to defeat the gangs and concurred that the Kenyan mission had delayed taking decisive action for too long.
“I am extremely concerned,” Mars expressed. “We cannot exit the city by land or air. We are currently in an open-air prison.”
With flights grounded for the foreseeable future, nonprofits delivering health care and food to millions of Haitians are anxious that the security crisis could escalate into a food and health catastrophe.
With 700,000 individuals displaced by violence in recent years, the United Nations has already alerted about the emergence of “famine-like” conditions in specific areas.
