PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A young boy donned a suit and bow tie at his stepfather’s funeral on Saturday, where he requested a handkerchief to dry his mother’s tears while they laid Marckendy Natoux to rest. Natoux was one of two journalists tragically gunned down by gang violence in Haiti, highlighting the increasing dangers faced by the press in the nation.
On Christmas Eve, Natoux was shot in a brazen attack during a significant public event—the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital, which had previously been looted by gangs. The 42-year-old, who was a father to two children, was fluent in four languages and had contributed to numerous local and U.S. media organizations. He was also an educator in English and Spanish, widely recognized for his compassionate nature.
“He was a staunch advocate for journalists,” recounted Oriol Jacklin of Radio Regard FM. “He collaborated with all and treated everyone with dignity.” Natoux’s extensive experience included roles in marketing for Voice of America’s Creole service and positions at the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the Boston Caribbean Network.
On the fateful day of his death, Natoux was in downtown Port-au-Prince with fellow journalists to cover the highly anticipated hospital reopening. Just after their arrival, gunmen unleashed a torrent of bullets. “He lost his life while striving to bring the news to the global audience,” expressed René Celias, a colleague of Natoux.
Johnson “Izo” André, a notorious gang leader and head of the Viv Ansanm coalition, which controls 85% of Port-au-Prince, released a video claiming responsibility for the shooting. He stated that he had not permitted the hospital’s reopening. Colleagues have called out the government for allowing such a dangerous situation, resulting in the health minister’s dismissal.
“You cannot invite journalists to report on an event in an area known to be perilous,” Jacalin, a fellow journalist, emphasized. “Government negligence led to the deaths of two journalists and one police officer, in addition to injuring five other reporters who now await surgery.”
Another victim of the violence was Jimmy Jean, a 44-year-old father of six, affiliated with the online news platform Moun Afe Bon, who was buried just days prior. Robest Dimanche, spokesperson for the Online Media Collective, a rights advocacy group for online journalists in Haiti, described Natoux as exceptionally gifted and principled, denouncing both murders. “This is an incredibly bleak moment,” he stated. “We insist that the authorities not allow this crime to escape accountability.”
Unfortunately, the likelihood of justice being served seems dim. The Committee to Protect Journalists has tagged Haiti among the worst countries in the world for failing to address murders of journalists, with at least seven cases unresolved since 2019. Natoux and Jean were among the grim statistics reflecting over 5,600 reported killings in Haiti last year, despite the ongoing efforts of a U.N.-backed mission, which included Kenyan police, aimed at curtailing gang violence.
In a recent establishment of support, an additional group of 217 Kenyan officers has arrived to supplement the 400 who reached Haiti last year. Meanwhile, discussions are underway among the U.S. and other nations seeking a U.N. peacekeeping mission, driven by concerns over the current operation’s lack of resources and personnel.
As family and friends paid their final respects to Natoux, his small stepson tenderly wiped away his mother’s tears with a handkerchief before addressing his own grief. A family friend gently held the boy, whispering comforting words. At the service’s conclusion, mourners raised Natoux’s coffin aloft, with a colleague placing their hand over the Haitian flag that adorned it, while cries of sorrow resonated throughout the church.
