MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Haiti: Gangs make TV facilities their target of choice

Jimmy “Barcebue” Cherizier now targets TV stations

The criminal gang Viv Ansanm has intensified its attacks on media outlets in Port-au-Prince with the latest incident involving the vandalism and arson of Télé Pluriel's premises in Port-au-Prince's Delmas 19 district during the weekend.

The gang looted equipment before setting the facility on fire, following a similar attack on Radio Television du Caraïbes (RTCV), Haiti’s largest media group, days earlier. Télé Pluriel publicly denounced the violence and criticized the Haitian authorities for their inaction amid escalating insecurity.

Interim Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé condemned the attacks, promising justice, but public concerns persist as gang violence continues.

Haiti has faced a sharp rise in violence since early 2024, contributing to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who assumed power after President Jovenel Moïse's 2021 assassination.

A Presidential Transitional Council was established to restore order and prepare for elections—the first in a decade—but has struggled to curb gang control over large areas.

A UN-backed multinational mission is also active in Haiti but has so far failed to effectively reduce the armed groups' influence, highlighting the deepening crisis and impunity in the country.

These gangs, controlling over 80% of the metropolitan area, continue to spread violence, forcing residents to flee their homes. Although RTCV had relocated operations, some materials were lost in the attack.

Viv Ansanm (Creole for “Live Together”) is a coalition of armed gangs in Haiti, primarily active in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Formed in September 2023, it brought together two previously rival gang federations, the G9 Family and Allies and G-Pèp, under the de facto leadership of Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a former police officer turned gang leader.

The gang is known for using tactics like blockades to disrupt fuel and food supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Between March and June 2024, the number of internally displaced people in Haiti reportedly rose from 362,000 to over 578,000, with the first quarter of 2024 being the deadliest since UN monitoring began.

They have also been accused of murders, kidnappings, rapes, and arson, often targeting civilians and neighborhoods resisting their control, like Solino, where homes were burned in late 2024.

Chérizier and other leaders claim to be fighting for the poor against oligarchs and foreign influence, distributing food or cash in some areas to gain legitimacy. Critics argue this is a facade, pointing to their role in deepening chaos as Viv Ansanm has been blamed for massacres, including one in December 2024 allegedly killing over 180 people.

The group has also opposed the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by Kenyan forces, viewing it as a threat to their dominance. Despite internal tensions and occasional clashes, the coalition has reduced infighting among member gangs, allowing them to focus on criminal enterprises and confrontations with security forces. Armed clashes between gangs dropped by 78% from March to August 2024 compared to the prior six months, per some reports.

Viv Ansanm’s rise has complicated Haiti’s crisis. Some Haitian politicians have floated negotiating with them, seeing their influence as unavoidable, while others, along with international actors like the US, reject this, advocating for stronger security measures.

The UN has renewed sanctions targeting gang leaders, including asset freezes and arms embargoes, but their territorial grip persists. Meanwhile, residents face daily terror: schools close, hospitals are inaccessible, and entire neighborhoods are displaced.

The coalition’s actions, like blocking ports, have driven up the costs of essentials, with food prices rising 27% since January 2024.