Haitian police conducted a large-scale operation on Saturday in the Lower Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, targeting the stronghold of powerful gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, widely known as “Barbecue.” Chérizier leads Viv Ansanm (Live Together), a powerful coalition of gangs that controls significant portions of the capital city.
Several gang members were reportedly killed during the raid, which local sources say involved military drones carrying explosives. The operation was carried out by a special task force established just two days ago by the government to combat insecurity.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime praised the assault in a statement on X, saying: “The state will not give in to terror. Haitian people, keep hope: the government stands with you in these difficult times. Victory against the gangs is underway.”
Initial reports that Chérizier was wounded in the operation appear to be incorrect. According to local media, the gang leader narrowly escaped the raid, though several of his lieutenants were shot. In a video circulating after the attack, Chérizier promised retaliation against police forces.
In a public address published Sunday, Haiti’s first democratically elected leader Jean Bertrand Aristide offered a stark assessment of the country’s situation saying, “The current state cannot save the people without the people.” Aristide drew attention to what he described as the sources of Haiti’s problems, stating: “Too many gangs wearing ties. Too many gangs with guns. Too many holes from bullets in the hull of the ship [of state] that is sinking while we are all in the same boat.”
The former president also renewed his longstanding demand that France make financial reparations for the “ransom money” it extracted from Haiti following the country’s independence from the colonial power. Aristide has maintained that this historical debt is a foundational cause of Haiti’s ongoing struggles.
Aristide’s comments come as Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council prepares for a leadership change on March 7, when Fritz Alphonse Jean is scheduled to replace Leslie Voltaire as the council’s president.
Speaking exclusively to JURIST, Haitian dissident Jean Saint-Vil asserted:
Like many Haitians I greet news of [Saturday’s] operation against the terrorists led by [Chérizier] with cautious optimism. Whereas up to 4 of his close lieutenants are reported killed by police, the fact that he survived keeps us wondering whether he still enjoys covert protection from PHTK elements within the transition government [and] even foreign diplomats. On March 7, as Fritz Alphonse Jean is set to take over the role of CPT (transitional) President from Leslie Voltaire, the population expects to see concrete progress in terms of return of security to the Capital. Nothing short of taking down one or two top leaders of the Viv Ansanm terrorists shall do.
Saint-Vil’s comments reflect widespread suspicion among Haitians about potential connections between gang leaders and political figures from the Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK), the political party of assassinated president Jovenel Moïse that has dominated Haitian politics for years.
Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has struggled to organize long-delayed elections amid the security crisis. Council head Leslie Voltaire has pledged to hold elections in November 2025, which would be Haiti’s first since 2016, with plans to establish an elected government by February 2026.
However, the International Crisis Group warned that “polls held in current conditions would be unsafe for candidates and voters alike” and that “rushing toward elections, the transitional government should focus on the nuts and bolts of responsible governance.” The organization cautioned that holding elections under the threat of gang violence could result in very low turnout and allow gangs to manipulate the results by sowing fear in areas under their control.
