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The Architects of Chaos
The Architects of Chaos
The Architects of Chaos
  • News
  • January 17, 2025

The Architects of Chaos

In Haiti, chaos is not a simple consequence of events, but a carefully crafted product of actors whose decisionsor lack thereofworsen the crisis every day. At the head of this orchestration of failures is the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), led by architect Leslie Voltaire since October 2024. Presented as a temporary solution to get Haïti out of its impasse, the CPT quickly proved ineffective and incapable of responding to the country’s urgent challenges.

Read the article in :

French : Les architectes du chaos

Spanish : Los arquitectos del caos

Creole : Achitèk yo nan dezòd

Reference page : The Architects of Chaos

Other version : The Architects of Chaos

Chaotic Leadership

Created in April 2024, the CPT raised many hopes under the leadership of Edgar Leblanc Fils, Coordinator of the political party Organization of the People in Struggle (OPL). But these hopes were quickly extinguished. Internal divisions, poor governance, and corruption scandals have transformed this body into a caricature of administrative inefficiency. In less than a year, the CPT has become a symbol of impotence, unable to propose concrete solutions to the political crisis that has paralyzed Haïti since the fall of the Duvalier regime and which worsened after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The fall of the Duvalier regime raised a lot of hope, but as Meudec states, “The liberating surge of 1986 was followed by a form of stagnation in the political transition process marked by the return of corruption and violence” (Meudec 2007, 47). Indeed, after approximately 39 years of “democratic governance,” the country is nothing but chaos and desolation.

The country has remained without elections since 2016, reinforcing the illegitimacy of the institutions. The economic and political elite contribute to this blockage by refusing the reforms necessary to establish a climate of trust and stability. Far from being victims, these elites take advantage of the ambient disorder to maintain their privileges.

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A chaotic economy

The Haitian chaos is as much economic as political. According to the report of the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (IHSI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 4.2% when comparing the last two fiscal years, going from 592.7 billion gourdes for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to 568.0 billion gourdes for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. According to the IHSI, this fall “constitutes the largest decline in the economy ever recorded since the 5.7% fall in GDP in 2009-2010, following the devastating earthquake of January 12 of the same year” (IHSI 2024, 4). The country ends 2024 with an inflation rate of 25.8% (IHSI 2024, 4). Daily survival has become a struggle for the majority of Haitians. Informal trade dominates the economy, accounting for nearly 80% of activities, while foreign investment is almost non-existent.

The Presidential Transitional Council, under the leadership of architect Leslie Voltaire, has shown no strategic vision to revive the economy. Economic plans are non-existent, and international funds often disappear into opaque circuits, further fueling systemic corruption. This corruption is not only the work of politicians. Indeed, economic and political elites, by controlling key sectors such as food and energy imports as well as internal security, participate in the perpetuation of poverty and dependency.

A chaotic security situation

Gang violence has become the main factor of instability in the country. These gangs dictate their laws, extort citizens, prevent access to essential services, and force thousands of people to flee their homes. According to the Haïti Expert Group, the number of displaced people in Haïti is estimated at more than 500,000 people by June 2024, an increase of nearly 60% compared to March 2024 (Haïti Expert Group 2024, 29).

We are also witnessing a process of transmission of violence to children. Recruited by force or lured by illusory promises of power and wealth, these children become both victims and instruments of violence. The Haïti Expert Group states that “the recruitment of children as young as 10 years old by gangs has increased considerably and children may now represent up to 50% of all gang members” (Haïti Expert Group 2024, 31). Lack of education, poverty and lack of prospects are the main drivers of this mass enrollment and contribute to the process of maintaining chaos.

A hypothetical future

Haitian youth, who represent more than 60% of the population, are both the main victims of this chaos and their greatest chance for recovery. However, political and economic actors ignore this potential, preferring to exploit this vital force for destructive purposes, as evidenced by the massive enrollment of young people in gangs.

However, with targeted investments in education, vocational training and entrepreneurship, these young people could become an essential lever for reconstruction. Local initiatives, supported by civil society and international partners, must aim to offer viable opportunities to these young people, in order to divert their energy from gangs and use it to build a more just and united society.

Build or destroy?

The chaos that Haïti is experiencing today is not the result of inevitability. It is the result of a chronic lack of leadership, systemic corruption and the complicity of elites who profit from the ambient disorder. The architects of chaos are not anonymous figures: they occupy positions of power and their decisions shape the country’s collapse every day.

To escape this spiral, a complete overhaul of institutions and a renewal of political and economic elites are essential. Haïti will only be able to recover with truly committed leaders, breaking with the dominant habitus, and a mobilized, committed and combative youth. The architects of chaos must give way to the builders of hope, because only a collective commitment, built on the ideal of freedom for all of the Fathers of the nation, will allow Haïti to regain its dignity and stability.

Citizen Ken

January 7, 2025

Haiti: Is buying votes to be elected a form of corruption or political strategy?
Haiti: Is buying votes to be elected a form of corruption or political strategy?

Haiti: Is buying votes to be elected a form of corruption or political strategy?

The democratic political system requires the active participation of citizens in the management of the city. Everyone freely expresses their opinion for harmonious management of society. Generally the choices are made from the organization of free and honest elections. However, sometimes candidates use diverted means to achieve their ends. Can we consider this act as a form of corruption or a political strategy? In a democratic society, the organization of elections at regular intervals is an imperative. Managers are generally elected by the majority of voters, which ensures them a certain legitimacy within the framework of government management. Today, more and more, around the world, the elections are controlled by economic power. This sector gives a lot of silver to candidates who often buy the media services in order to have certain visibility through mass communication means (radio, VAT, Internet, etc.) and do without constraints Many very expensive trips, which require enormous capital. By the way, the possibility that a candidate with low financial means of being elected is increasingly reduced in Western societies. Despite everything, it is illegal to buy the votes of the voters. It is an act of corruption that should lead to criminal sanctions. No society can tolerate this practice which could hamper the degeneration of the democratic system and, consequently, of the electorate system. Civil society and human rights organizations must be vigilant in order to avoid these harmful drifts in the democratic system. In fact, the temptation to bribe the voters in order to access elective positions must be denounced as an act of corruption. In doing so, will lead to political dissenting between duty, and law, because citizens are called upon to freely choose the leaders of the city. Ultimately, the organization of the elections must be the fruit of consensus between the various groups of the social system. Managers must be chosen according to their ability to provide adequate answers to the problems of the company. They can still benefit from powerful financial means from other partners. But, giving voters directly money is a condemnable detective act which reduces the autonomy of action and thinking of voters. In this sense, the latter’s vote must reflect the desire to choose or build a fair, fair and favorable company.

References

Meudec, Marie. 2007. Corps, violence et politique en Haïti. Sociological aspects.. Sociological aspects, 14, 1. ⟨hal-01636285⟩: 1-27. https://hal.science/hal-01636285v1 United Nations. 2024. Final report of the Group of Experts on Haiti

Ministry of Economy and Finance, Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics. 2024. Economic accounts in 2024

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Emeline Michel, in exceptional concert in Miami

St. Clement Parish celebrates its seventy years of service to God and the Haitian community, this November 23, 2024, at 2975 N. Andrews Ave., Wilton Manors, FL. On the occasion of this celebration, Emeline Michel will be in exceptional concert to mark this cultural event. On the menu of this program, the committee plans to organize evangelization sessions, continuing education, fields of ethics, morality and spirituality. This event will also emphasize faith, reason and culture to rebuild in unity the kingdom of God here below where "Charity unites us to God". With the aim of raising culture to its peak, the Archbishop of Miami is pleased to join us for a great Eucharistic celebration on Saturday, November 23, 2024, starting at 10 a.m. Together, they will mark this mythical date engraved in the memory of his faithful and friends. This evening will be hosted by the icon of Haitian music, Emeline Michel, who has made a name for herself in the Haitian cultural landscape: "We welcome the famous singer Emeline Michel. She will do us the honor of reliving important and unforgettable moments of our charming land of Haiti. With her melodious, very captivating voice and her poetic songs, all the beautiful memories will be there, like our beaches, the light breeze of our mornings and the flight of capricious birds," wrote the press release. The 58-year-old diva continues to establish herself as one of the unique, contagious voices of Haitian music. While remaining in her style, she has been able to create her musical universe during her career, which has allowed her to be honored in the community by her fans. Emeline Michel, with her sincere lyrics and unique style, has managed to reach a wide audience without giving up her authenticity. With her songs and her melodious voice, she has rocked several generations. Throughout her musical career, she has an enriching repertoire, about thirteen albums to her credit, we can cite a few: Douvanjou ka leve (1987); Flanm (1989); Pa gen manti nan sa (1990); Rhum et Flamme (1993); Tout mon temps (1991); Emeline Michel, the very best (1994); Ban m pase (1996); Coedes and Soul (2001); Rasin Kreyòl (2004); Queen of Hearts (2007); Quintessence and lastly Gratitude (2015). She also has many collaborations with other artists. Chanjman and Jan mwen (2020, and 2021) Emeline Michel, 40 years of experience on stage, she carries all Haïti in her voice, her soul and her body. During her flourishing years of success, she has marked several continents where she has already performed (Antilles, America, Europe, Asia). This allowed her to discover several places, such as: Carnegie Hall, at the United Nations; the Teatro Manzoni in Milan; the Kravis Center in Florida; the International Jazz Festival (Haiti). Then, the Luminato Festival in Ontario; the International Jazz of Montreal; the New Orleans Jazz Fest; the Ten Days On The Island. The priest of the parish of St. Clement, Rev. Patrick Charles, took the opportunity to extend a warm invitation to the community to come celebrate this great day marking its seventieth anniversary and to entertain in order to once again highlight Haitian culture.

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Les lapins sont des mammifères appartenant à la famille des Leporidae. Voici quelques-unes de leurs caractéristiques principales : 1. **Physique** : Les lapins ont un corps couvert de fourrure douce, des oreilles longues et droites, de grands yeux sur les côtés de leur tête, et une queue courte et duveteuse. Ils possèdent de puissantes pattes arrière adaptées au saut. 2. **Taille et poids** : La taille et le poids peuvent varier considérablement selon la race, allant d’environ 500 grammes pour les plus petits à plus de 5 kilogrammes pour les plus grands. 3. **Comportement** : Les lapins sont connus pour être sociaux et peuvent vivre en groupes dans la nature. Ils communiquent entre eux par différents moyens, y compris par des sons et des mouvements corporels. Les lapins creusent des terriers pour y vivre et se protéger des prédateurs. 4. **Alimentation** : Ils sont herbivores, se nourrissant principalement de foin, d’herbes, de feuilles, de fleurs, et de certains légumes. Leur système digestif est adapté pour traiter une grande quantité de fibres. 5. **Reproduction** : Les lapins sont réputés pour leur capacité à se reproduire rapidement, avec des gestations courtes d’environ 28 à 31 jours. Une portée peut compter de un à douze lapereaux, selon la race. 6. **Sens** : Ils ont une excellente vision périphérique pour détecter les mouvements tout autour d’eux, mais ont une zone aveugle juste devant leur nez. Leur ouïe est également très développée, leur permettant de capter des sons à de grandes distances. 7. **Espérance de vie** : En captivité, les lapins peuvent vivre de 7 à 10 ans, selon la race et les soins prodigués, tandis que dans la nature, leur espérance de vie est généralement plus courte en raison des prédateurs et des maladies. Ces animaux nécessitent des soins appropriés, notamment un régime alimentaire équilibré, de l’exercice, et une attention particulière à leur bien-être émotionnel et physique pour vivre une vie saine et heureuse en captivité.

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History

History

First black nation to free itself from slavery and gain independence from France in 1804 and influenced other liberation movements around the world, inspiring struggles for freedom and equality.

Natural beauty

Natural beauty

Haïti is blessed with spectacular natural landscapes, including white sand beaches, mountains and rich biodiversity.

Heritage

Heritage

Haïti has a rich historical heritage, including sites like the Citadelle Laferrière and the Sans-Souci Palace, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Culture

Culture

Haïti has a rich and diverse culture, influenced by African, European and indigenous elements. Haitian music, dance, art and cuisine are celebrated around the world.

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