Haitian Gang Influence Grows with American Kidnapping

    Two weeks ago in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, a Haitian gang kidnapped a group of 17 people associated the the group Christian Aid Ministries. A few days later the gang came out with demands for the release of the people, ones they knew could not be met, $1 million per person.

    While negotiations are still ongoing for the release of the prisoners, this drastic act by the 400 Mawozo gang is representative of the path Haiti has been on in the past few months. Stemming from the assassination of Haiti's president, Jovenel Moise, and the following natural disasters that plagued the country, Haiti descending into a further state of upheaval with police losing power and gangs seizing power a land throughout the country.

    However, while kidnappings aren't uncommon and have actually become a big source of income for many gangs, this kidnapping by the 400 Mawozo gang is unique in the amount of money they are demanding, and their general unwillingness to negotiate. As negotiations lulled, the gang created even more pressure by releasing videos threatening to kill the hostages, and showing no care for the 5 children in the group of hostages.

    As it has now been 17 days since the hostages were taken, I agree with President Biden's statement that "every possible option" is on the table for getting the hostages back alive as the FBI continues to work closely with Haiti and the Christian Aid Ministry to resolve this situation. While this kidnapping is certainly one of the most pressing issues needing to be resolved in the country, I think that it's pretty clear that simply dealing with this one situation is not going to change the path of the country as a whole. With Haitian gangs like the 400 Mawozo gaining influence every day through kidnappings, violence, and halting fuel deliveries, countries like the U.S. should have a responsibility to do more than just focus on getting their people out and leaving, but instead to look more deeply at the root of the problem and potentially help the Haitian government reestablish control to overall lower gangs' influence.

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048346773/haiti-gang-leader-kidnapped-missionaries-video

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/world/americas/haiti-missionaries-ransom.html

https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/haiti-insecurity-triggered-fuel-shortage-threatens-newborns-lives

https://apnews.com/article/business-caribbean-port-au-prince-haiti-gangs-8793b917718e5f67f27317e765c410aa