SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. envoy to the United Nations said Monday that the U.S. government will soon take action to curb violent gangs Haiti from making money from social media posts.
Gang leader in the troubled Caribbean country are prolific users of social media and have celebrated murders, made threats and posted thoughts on various websites. Younger gang members also release music videos and wave the money they earned to recruit children in the impoverished country.
Mike Waltz, who recently visited Haiti, called the practice “incredibly disturbing” and warned that the US would “stop” it in the near future. He gave no further details when he spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.
He spoke as the U.S. prepares this week withdraw the temporary protected status of approximately 350,000 Haitians those living in the United States, exposing them to deportation, a move widely criticized by lawyers and human rights experts.
Efforts to crack down on gang use of social media are not new. In 2023, YouTube banned Johnson André, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and also known as Izo, following intense criticism after he received an award for having more than 100,000 subscribers.
The US envoy also called on countries with aircraft capacity to join in deploying foreign troops the latest UN-supported mission in Haiti to combat gangs, including Sri Lanka and Ivory Coast. He said sea transport was taking too long and Haitians needed help now.
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Gang violence rises as Haitians in the US prepare for deportation
Gang violence has been suppressed a record nearly 1.5 million people across Haiti, where more than half of the country’s nearly 12 million residents are in need of humanitarian assistance.
According to the United Nations, more than 2,300 people have been killed and more than 1,100 injured since January. Earlier this year, clashes in the Cite Soleil slum in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince left 542 dead and 355 injured. In addition, according to the UN, at least 176 women and girls were raped.
Waltz recounted how gangs recently surrounded an armored vehicle that got stuck in a ditch and ignited a fire underneath, forcing Haitian police officers to flee.
“They were skinned alive on the road,” Waltz said, adding that their bodies were tied to the side of the vehicle to send a message.
“I want everyone to understand the battle ahead,” he added.
Waltz noted that Haiti needs equipment including heavy bulldozers to clear roads and gang-controlled checkpoints, adding that gunmen have taken over roads, ports, hospitals, prisons and other government infrastructure.
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“Haiti is just a few hundred miles from Florida,” he said. “In this regard, it is a critical interest of the United States.”
According to the United Nations, gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, and about half of gang members are children Poverty and hunger are increasing.
“The situation of children in Haiti is among the most worrying in the world,” said Vanessa Frazier, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict. “Children are killed, maimed, kidnapped, recruited and exploited by armed gangs, driven from their homes, denied access to education and deprived of basic protection and legal identity.”
Jack Christofides, Special Representative of the United Nations Supported Gang Suppression Forces The organization, which operates in Haiti, said it has established its headquarters, established its first forward base of operations and recently began cracking down on gang infrastructure.
“The political and humanitarian environment nevertheless remains extremely challenging,” he said. “Armed gangs are likely to adapt their tactics to maintain control.”
Haiti is under pressure to hold elections
The international community has pressured Haiti to hold parliamentary elections that would be the first in more than a decade.
Although the country is led by appointed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, it has not had a president since the administration of President Jovenel Moïse killed in his private home in July 2021. Gang violence has increased sharply since then.
Seven of Haiti’s 10 provinces are ready for electoral activity, while the anti-gang force is critical to restoring security in the remaining three, said Raina Forbin, Haiti’s foreign minister.
The three provinces include Port-au-Prince, and together they account for more than half of all voters, noted Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for Haiti. He pointed to the displacement caused by gang violence and said voter registration that began Monday will “give us a new reality about where voters are right now.”
Forbin said another 4,000 officers are expected to join the Haitian National Police, which remains understaffed and underfunded, by year’s end. Meanwhile, another 1,500 recruits are expected to join Haiti revived armed forces.
https://apnews.com/article/haiti-un-gangs-waltz-us-violence-42aea8944080f4ab6c80b06734d0bf0f
