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Haiti’s Roadmap: The State is Hollow, the Private Sector is Perceived as Predatory — Can Civil Society Hold the Line? By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson (Le Français suit) PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s transitional “feuille de route” promises three pillars: security, elections, and constitutional reform. On paper, these are state functions. In practice, after years of crisis and capture, the state is brittle. The private sector has the money and the trucks. But the actors who can make or break legitimacy are neither ministers nor magnates. They are Haiti’s unions, peasant networks, women’s groups, human rights organizations, youth movements, and community radios — the stubborn infrastructure of Haitian civil society. The choice is stark: either civil society becomes the guarantor of trust, or the roadmap collapses into another elite arrangement.   Security: Corridors Only Work if Communities Own Them Haiti’s private operators can help unblock “protected service corridors” — po...

  Parallels Between Haiti’s Independence Struggles and Today’s Fight Against Gang Terrorism By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson (Le Français suit) Haiti's history is rich with tales of resistance and heroism, from the fight for independence against colonial powers to internal battles against leaders of destabilizing “toxic” rebel factions, the “1802 chefs de bandes” such as the troops under Petit Noël Prieur, Lamour Dérance, Romaine la prophétesse , Cacapoule, etc. Today, the nation faces a new enemy: heavily armed gangs who terrorize neighborhoods and seek to replace legitimate governance with their own lawless rule. Fortunately revived in the spirit of Vertières we are witnessing the rise of collaboration between, the police, the fledging army and the neighbourhoods of Canape-vert, Delmas Bourdon, Frères, Christ-Roi,etc where recent gang attacks were defeated and the perpetrators executed in self-defense. This article explores the parallels between the fight of Haiti’s independence he...

  The Inevitable Failure of Terrorist Gangs in Haiti By Patrick Prézeau Stephenson   (le français suit)   Context of Gangs in Haiti In Haiti, armed gangs have gained increasing autonomy, attacking state institutions and paralyzing everyday life in Port-au-Prince. This evolution of the gangs, who now control approximately 80% of the capital, represents a significant transformation from their historical role as subordinates to politicians and economic elites. Today, they have become a force capable of openly challenging the state, demanding political changes, and resisting international intervention. Structure and Goals of the Gangs Major groups like G9, led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, and GPep, have evolved from mere participants in criminal activities to actors with explicit political ambitions. Initially tools for politicians and businessmen, these gangs now seek to gain a share of political power, enabled by their capacity to generate independent revenue ...