Haiti in ‘low-intensity civil war’ as economy tanks, violence soars
- Haiti is in a state of chaos and near paralysis not seen in decades, with roads blocked and fuel scarce amid gang rule
- The president of the neighbouring Dominican Republic described the situation in Haiti as a ‘low-intensity civil war’
Daily life in Haiti began to spin out of control last month just hours after Prime Minister Ariel Henry said fuel subsidies would be eliminated, causing prices to double.
Gunshots rang out as protesters blocked roads with iron gates and mango trees. Then Haiti’s most powerful gang took a drastic step: it dug trenches to block access to the Caribbean country’s largest fuel terminal, vowing not to budge until Henry resigns and prices for fuel and basic goods go down.
The poorest country in the Western hemisphere is in the grips of an inflationary vice that is squeezing its citizenry and exacerbating protests that have brought society to the breaking point.
Violence is raging and making parents afraid to send their kids to school; fuel and clean water are scarce; hospitals, banks and grocery stores are struggling to stay open.
The president of neighbouring Dominican Republic described the situation as a “low-intensity civil war”.
Life in Haiti is always extremely difficult, if not downright dysfunctional. But the magnitude of the current paralysis and despair is unprecedented. Political instability has simmered ever since last year’s still-unsolved assassination of Haiti’s president; inflation soaring around 30 per cent has only aggravated the situation.