No End in Sight to Chaos in Haiti: Vigilantes Set Suspected Gang Members on Fire

Haitian gang members were killed and set on fire in the Petion-Ville suburb in Port-au-Prince in an apparent case of vigilantism, Reuters reported Thursday.

The bodies were reportedly burned after Haiti’s National Police — considered one of the last functional branches of the barely-there Haitian state — launched an operation in Petion-Ville on Wednesday to fight the violent gangs that have taken control of most of the country.

According to Reuters, a witness saw two suspected gang members killed and set on fire, including a notorious gang leader known as “Makandal.” Reuters states that it reviewed footage that showed the bodies lying and being dragged on the street, “one man with his hands cut off.”

The local outlet Le National reported on Thursday that police officers clashed with “Makandal” and some of his gang members during Wednesday’s operation.

“Makandal,” who was one of the thousands of men who escaped from prison in a massive jailbreak orchestrated by gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, was killed in the Wednesday police operation alongside some of his accomplices. Le National stated that local civilians burned “Makandal’s” body in a “sense of jubilation.” The gang leader’s home was also reportedly burned down.

Petion-Ville is one of the several Port-au-Prince suburbs under siege by the nation’s violent gangs as the country continues to spiral out of control. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that its journalists had seen at least five dead bodies around the suburb, where gangs continue to block the entrances to some areas.

Gangs launched violent attacks in Port-au-Prince’s Laboule and Thomassin upscale areas this week, as well, looting several homes killing at least a dozen citizens. The affected communities have made calls to radio stations pleading for help from the understaffed and slow-to-respond Haitian police, rather than attempting to contact police directly. The police have also reportedly enlisted the help of the local anti-gang vigilante movement known as Bwa Kale (a slang term for street justice) that has been active since 2023.

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“When I woke up to go to work, I found I could not leave because the neighborhood was in the hand of the bandits,” a man identified as Samuel Orelus told the Associated Press on Thursday. “They were about 30 men with heavy weapons. If the neighborhood had mobilized, we could have destroyed them, but they were heavily armed, and there was nothing we could do.”

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander Gen. Laura J. Richardson asserted on Tuesday that Haiti needs an “international solution” to its dramatic crisis and deteriorating social fabric, leaving open the possibility of sending American troops to Haiti as part of said “international solution.”

Haitian politicians continue negotiations to form a transitional council tasked with eventually selecting a new prime minister and other authorities after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced plans to resign, which will become formal as soon as the council is established. Haiti has not had a president since 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, who was shot dead in the presidential residence.

The negotiations are reportedly advancing at a slow pace at press time, despite pressure from the United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), who are acting as mediators for the negotiations.

“Discussions continue. I’m sure it will take a little bit of time, But from all indications, it’s moving along,” Guyana’s ambassador to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, told reporters.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.