Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier: the gangster behind the violence in Haiti who may have political aspirations of his own
Over the past two weeks, Haiti’s powerful gangs have plunged a country already on life support into a coma.
- Over the past two weeks, Haiti’s powerful gangs have plunged a country already on life support into a coma.
- He is an unelected leader, taking power after Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, and has presided over the country’s economic freefall.
- But Chérizier has emerged from the armed insurrection as the most formidable leader in Haiti, and some suspect he may have political aspirations of his own.
- Haiti’s history is replete with political leaders with very dubious pasts, and the country’s citizens are used to their violent machinations.
- According to Chérizier, his brand of violent street politics is very much in tune with the need of the hour.
Political acumen
- The current political instability in Haiti has largely been manufactured by Chérizier and the gangs he leads as a cleverly thought-out survival strategy.
- So, on the one hand, Chérizier’s decision to stir up a political uprising can be seen as a planned strategy to scare off any external forces seeking to impose order.
- Chérizier has used Henry’s unpopularity and controversial decision to deploy foreign police officers in the nation to drum up a nationwide violent fervour for political change.
- With Henry now out of the political scene, the chance that Haitians will be forced to embrace such an outcome may not be far-fetched after all.
Amalendu Misra has received funding from
British Academy /
Nuffield Foundation