Pierre Robert Auguste, President of the Artibonite Entrepreneurs Association (AEA), regretted that armed groups benefit from the permissiveness of the authorities while there is no strategic reflection at the state level in collaboration with society to combat insecurity.
Auguste assured the radio program Magik 9 that three major criminal groups operate in Petite-Rivière de Artibonite, Croix Périsse and Gros-Morne and that the National Police is equipped with weapons and ammunition to confront these groups, but is not doing anything to address the situation.
“Gangs are becoming a profitable economic activity and a social modality. “Anyone who joins a gang is not afraid to show off,” lamented the AEA boss.
The crisis is having serious consequences for the region, where food such as rice grown in the region has become 40 percent more expensive and companies are unable to provide for themselves.
In addition, he assured, some companies are in a situation of undeclared bankruptcy and others have simply closed or massively laid off their employees due to the security situation in the department.
Auguste fears the beginning of a social outbreak and a popular revolt aimed directly at officials and perpetrators of criminal acts.
Given this situation, the AEA called on the government to lift restrictions that allow entrepreneurs to import directly and to establish a public-private partnership to promote the use of ports in regional economic development.
This week, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti reported that Artibonite, the country’s largest breadbasket, has seen a significant increase in violence since July last year, with more than 1,690 people killed, injured or kidnapped.
“They are extremely violent and do not hesitate to execute the local population when they attack cities considered rivals and burn the abductees to force their families to pay ransom.” In addition, they use sexual violence as a weapon against women and even small children,” the organization complained.
As a result, more than 22,000 people were forced to leave their homes to seek refuge in less unsafe places.
Binuh warned that the evictions led to a decline in cultivated areas and the indebtedness of many farmers and merchants who were unable to repay their loans.
All this while 45 percent of the population lives in acute food insecurity and gangs have control of National Route 1.
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