On April 2, 2025, thousands of Haitians protested in Port-au-Prince against armed gangs that dominate practically all of the capital and neighboring areas, as well as the government’s unwillingness to stop them.
Violent armed gangs have banded together to form the Viv Ansanm alliance, forcing over 1 million people from their homes, contributing to economic stagnation, and fueling widespread hunger. They are also accused of extortion, mass rape, and murder.
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Gangs are still advancing nearly a year after the transitional government was established alongside a weakened U.N.-backed security mission. Residents in Port-au-Prince protested with banners, palm fronds, machetes, and weapons, but the originally peaceful rally was cut short by gunfire. Protester Joseph Mackendy told reporters, “Today, Haitian people will fight to be free already. We are free. Those men today cannot frighten me.”
Julien David, another protester, voiced his opinion, “We, the residents of the Solino neighborhood, we want to return home, and we will go home.”
Critics have linked the government’s poor performance against gangs to corruption and suspected coordination with armed organizations and their supporters, which the government denies. Haiti’s history of corruption and a paralyzed court system in the face of violence persists, and the protest comes after a major jailbreak in Mirebalais.
The United States recently imposed 10% duties on Haiti and several countries on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the destitute Caribbean Island, which exports hundreds of millions of dollars in items such as textiles, spirits, and cosmetics.
“One more problem for a suffering country,” tweeted economist Enomy Germain, the chairman of consultancy ProEco Haiti. Last year, the United States had a trade surplus of $598 million with Haiti.
