San Juan, Puerto Rico – United States officially appointed a powerful gang coalition in Haiti As a foreign terrorist organization, increasing concerns of the measure could deepen the country’s humanitarian crisis at a critical moment.
The Viv Ansanm coalition, which means “living together”, joins a list of Eight Latin American criminal organizations In that category. Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in the central region of Haiti’s artibonite, also added to the list, as reported by Associated Press on Tuesday.
“The era of impunity for those who support violence in Haiti have ended,” said the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in a statement on Friday.
The United States Department of State warned that “people, including US citizens, who participate in certain transactions or activities with these entities, or these people can be exposed to the risk of sanctions.”
But it is almost impossible for help groups and others to avoid dealing with gangs in Haiti.
Live Together’s coalition controls at least 85% of capitalPort-Au Prince. This forces non -profit organizations and other groups to negotiate with gangs so that they can obtain access to communities to provide food, water and other critical supplies.
“The first consequences (of the designation) will be on humanitarian and international cooperation, which is basically the only thing that prevents people in Haiti from starving,” said Romain Le Cour, with a global initiative against transnational organized crime.
The designation comes While Haiti faces record hungerWith more than half of its almost 12 million inhabitants that are expected to experience severe hunger until June, and another 8,400 people Living in makeshift shelters projected to starve.
Those who do business in Haiti could also be affected by the new designation. The gangs control the areas that surround a key fuel tank and the largest and most important port in the country, as well as the main roads that drive inside and outside the capital, where they charge tolls.
“It could function as a de facto embargo,” said Jake Johnston, director of International Research at the Center for Economic Research and Washington policy.
“Gangs exercise tremendous control over the country’s trade,” he said. “Doing any type of business with Haiti or in Haiti will have a much greater risk.”
The designation occurs when gang violence increases in Haiti.
According to Haiti’s political mission, more than 1,600 people died from January to March, and another 580 were injured. Violence has also left more than one million homeless.
“Despite the numerous victims within their ranks (936 individuals), gangs intensified their efforts to expand their territorial control in the metropolitan area of Puerto Príncipe and its surroundings,” according to a new UN report.
Leading the recent attacks is Viv Ansanm.
The coalition that represents more than a dozen gangs was created in September 2023, gathering two fierce rivals, G-9 and G-Pèp. It was reactivated at the end of February 2024, with armed men who assault police stations and the two largest prisons in Haiti, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. The coalition also forced The closure of Haiti’s main international airport For almost three months, a measure that prevented former Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning after an official visit to Kenya.
The government declared an emergency, and Henry, who could never return to Haiti, resigned in April 2024.
Live together has launched recent attacks In peaceful communities once peaceful on the outskirts of the capital of Haiti, killing hundreds of people.
Meanwhile, Gran Grif has assaulted several cities and towns in the central region of Haiti. In October, the gang was blamed for killing more than 70 people in Pont-Sondé, The biggest massacre in Haiti’s recent history. He also recently seized the control of Mirebalais parts and has He continued attacking the surrounding communities In an attempt to control more access to the border with the neighboring Dominican Republic, according to a UN report.
Le Cour, of the global initiative against transnational organized crime, warned that using the designation to directly attack Gangs in Haiti It would not work.
“If this designation is intended to press them, it must accumulate capacity … that allows you to go after the leaders of the gangs and arrest them in Haiti,” he said.
Violence has overwhelmed the National Police of Haiti and a mission backed by the UN Directed by the Kenya Police who is fighting in their fight against gangs since it remains insufficient and not resources.
And even if gang members are arrested, Haiti’s judicial system is barely functional. A UN report that found that “many courts remain destroyed, not operational or located in inaccessible areas, effectively prohibit judicial personnel and lawyers to access them.”
“The designation is more a general policy approach that is deeply insufficient, that runs the risk of ignoring the realities in the field today,” said Le Cour.
He said the designation must be used against Those in the United States that smuggled firearms To Haiti and the network that maintains ammunition and weapons flowing to the country.
