Haiti Gangs: Give Us Amnesty and Political Power or Nation Burns

Criminal gang leaders in Haiti threatened the recently inaugurated “Transitional Council” in charge of the country on Monday, demanding amnesty and political influence in exchange for an end to the ongoing chaos in the country.

Haiti’s Transitional Council was finally installed on Thursday at the end of a lengthy negotiation process among the country’s political parties, which representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) bloc oversaw.

The council, consisting of seven voting and two non-voting members, is now Haiti’s working government after months of gang violence left the country on the brink of total collapse.

The council is currently in the process of designating a new interim president and other government authorities following the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has been stranded in Puerto Rico since February following a violent insurrection by the nation’s most violent gangs, which gang lord Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier led.

The gangs, which have formed a loose coalition known as Viv Ansanm (“Live Together” in Haitian Creole), continue to exert control over significant portions of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital city, launching constant attacks against Haiti’s police and other remaining institutions. The dramatic escalation in gang violence left more than 2,500 dead between January and March, according to U.N. estimates, and has left thousands facing severe famine.

Vitel’homme Innocent, a 37-year-old man featured in the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” fugitives list and the leader of the Kraze Barye gang, told CNN on Monday that the gangs, which initially were calling for Henry’s resignation, are now opposing the Transitional Council, describing it as “more of the same.”

Innocent asserted that the gangs want amnesty under any future government, as well as a “plan” for the future of the young Haitians currently following his orders.

“When we drop our weapons, we must know that we have a state that will bring a framework for the future,” Innocent said. “Can I tell someone to drop his weapon and take a rock to eat? Not at all.”

Innocent also demanded that the gangs be granted a seat at the negotiating table, warning that if the gangs do not possess political power, they will seize it “by other means.”

“You will understand that when you realize that planes cannot fly. When you see that investors cannot come in,” Innocent warned. “When you analyze that there are a bunch of foreigners who were already in the country with projects who were forced to flee to their countries to wait for stability.”

The gang leader claimed that the Transitional Council needs to “sit back” and listen to the Viv Ansamn coalition, which, according to him, will lead to a “resolution as soon as possible” to the nation’s dramatic situation.

During the interview, Innocent did not deny the deaths, fires, rapes, kidnappings, and other crimes gangs have committed but downplayed them by describing them as “mistakes” and “collateral damage.”

“Yes, I have an armed group. I direct them,” Innocent said. “But when you really think about it, would these guys really have any clue who to kidnap and who not to kidnap? Not at all.”

The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported on Monday that CNN’s interview with Innocent took place inside his stronghold in Tabarre, not too far from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

U.S. authorities have accused Innocent of breaking into the house of an elderly U.S. couple in Haiti in October 2022, an incident that resulted in the death of the wife, American citizen Marie Odette, and the abduction of the husband, Jean Franklin. Innocent is also accused of having orchestrated the kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries in October 2021.

In addition to being featured on the FBI’s most wanted list, the United States sanctioned Innocent in December 2023 alongside other gang leaders for their “serious human rights violations.” Innocent has also been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Nations Security Council. The United States maintains an active $2 million bounty for information that can lead to Innocent’s arrest and/or conviction.

Innocent denied any involvement in the crimes, claiming that he has not been “given the chance” to answer the accusations while claiming that he is willing to defend himself in court.

“We believe in the law. We want to make the best choice, consult with legal counsel, and do due process,” Innocent said.

“Barbeque” Cherizier, who leads the Viv Ansamn gang coalition, warned of consequences if the gangs’ demands are ignored, claiming that the coalition is “ready to talk. It’s either we are all at the table, or the table gets destroyed with all of us.”

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