Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has descended into a perilous state, effectively becoming an "open area divided between armed gangs hidden elites and foreign interventions," according to Joe Hattab, who documented the crisis firsthand. This city, once the symbol of the first independent black nation after defeating colonialism in 1804, is now consumed by open war, contrasting sharply with the "paradise" of the neighboring Dominican Republic. The collapse began following the assassination of the president in 2021, when the government failed and the police lost control, leaving the populace to fend for itself.
The sheer magnitude of the crisis is defined by the proliferation of organized crime. Hattab reports that more than 200 armed gangs operate solely within the capital. These groups have united under the name Viva Sam, meaning "living together," and are largely led by a former police officer nicknamed Barbecue, known for "burning his enemies alive". The gangs' power is extensive, with them controlling an estimated 80% to 95% of the city. Their territorial control includes vital infrastructure like fuel, electricity, water ports, and even some airports. Hattab recounts the extreme difficulty in navigating this environment, noting that they had to ride a yellow bus into gang territory, as any private car passing through is immediately shot at. During his visit, Hattab interviewed a gang leader who confirmed the gangs' strength, stating they are "stronger than the government".
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The human suffering detailed by Hattab is staggering. He visited displacement camps where locals, who fled their neighborhoods after gangs burned their homes down, have been living for over nine months. About half a million people are displaced across the entire country. Hattab observed that these conditions are subhuman; he saw people living under cars amidst open sewers. Traveling into former gang territories revealed complete destruction; Hattab described entire abandoned neighborhoods that look like a "war zone," marked by rubble and bullet holes. He noted horrifying details, including a truck that exploded in the middle of a road and sites where gangs "used to burn people alive". The violence is amplified by corruption, as police sometimes sell guns and bullets to the gangs, with a box of bullets costing $3,500 USD, creating a dangerous cycle of violence.
In the face of this overwhelming gang control, Joe Hattab documented a resistance movement—civilians called the vigilantes—who refused to flee their homes. These are "ordinary people mechanics farmers fathers" who set up groups and took up arms to defend their communities. Hattab even wore their uniform to enter their area. These vigilantes operate checkpoints where they search people and check IDs; if they catch a gang member, they turn him over to the police. Assistance has arrived slowly in the form of foreign interventions, such as armored trucks from Kenyan forces, who came with UN backing, potentially to "improve their image in the international community".
Hattab also provides necessary historical context to the current tragedy. Despite achieving independence in 1804, France imposed the devastating "independence debt" in 1825, forcing Haiti to compensate French slave owners and crippling the economy for over 120 years. Further destabilization occurred during the 1915 US invasion, which seized gold and left behind a corrupt system. The final descent began with the devastating 2010 earthquake, which killed over 200,000 people and created the vacuum that allowed the nascent gangs to flourish. Through his documentation, Joe Hattab revealed a nation struggling to remain free amidst chaos, where citizens continue to fight for survival.
