In a strategic policy shift, the United States on Friday formally labeled a prominent gang alliance in Haiti as a foreign terrorist organization. This decision has raised eyebrows amid concerns it might exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis in the country. The coalition, known as Viv Ansanm, meaning “Living Together,” has now been added to a list of eight Latin American criminal entities recognized under this severe designation. Gran Grif, a dominant gang primarily active in Haiti’s central Artibonite region, was also included on this list. These moves were highlighted in a recent report.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized, “The era of impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti is at its end.” The U.S. Department of State warned that anyone, including American citizens, engaged in certain activities with these groups may face sanctions. However, it’s notably challenging for aid organizations to circumvent interactions with gangs in Haiti.
Viv Ansanm holds control over approximately 85% of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, compelling nonprofit organizations to negotiate with gangs for access to areas needing essential supplies such as food and water. “The immediate consequences of this new designation will impact humanitarian and international cooperation, which currently serve as lifelines against starvation in Haiti,” stated Romain Le Cour from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Currently, Haiti confronts unprecedented hunger levels, with over half of its almost 12 million residents anticipated to endure severe food shortages by June. Furthermore, about 8,400 individuals living in temporary shelters face the threat of starvation.
The commercial landscape in Haiti could also bear the brunt of this policy move. Gangs control territories surrounding a critical fuel depot and the nation’s largest port, as well as the main thoroughfares leading to and from the capital, where tolls are imposed. Jake Johnston, an international research director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, observed, “It could effectively act as an embargo… Operating or establishing any business dealings in Haiti will now carry substantially higher risks.”
Violence in Haiti has been relentless, further complicating the situation. Over 1,600 individuals have been killed, and an additional 580 wounded between January and March, according to the U.N.’s political mission in Haiti. This surge in violence has rendered over a million individuals homeless. “Despite significant casualties among them (936 losses), gangs have bolstered efforts to expand their territorial dominance in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and its surroundings,” notes a recent U.N. report.
The recent resurgence of unrest is largely attributed to Viv Ansanm. The coalition, comprising over a dozen gangs, united two fierce rivals, G-9 and G-Pèp, in September 2023. Renewed actions in February 2024 saw gunmen invading police stations and the two largest prisons in Haiti, freeing more than 4,000 inmates. The coalition effectively shut down Haiti’s primary international airport for nearly three months, thwarting former Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s return following an official visit to Kenya. The government declared a state of emergency, but with Henry unable to return, he resigned in April 2024.
Recently, Viv Ansanm launched attacks on previously peaceful outskirts near Haiti’s capital, resulting in the deaths of hundreds. Simultaneously, the gang Gran Grif has orchestrated several aggressive raids within Haiti’s central areas. October saw the alleged massacre of more than 70 individuals in Pont-Sondé, marking one of the darkest chapters in Haiti’s recent history. Now, Gran Grif has assumed control over sections of Mirebalais and persistently targets nearby communities to dominate access routes to the Dominican Republic border.
Le Cour cautioned that merely designating gangs would be ineffective. “To pressure these gangs successfully, the capacity must be built to detain leaders within Haiti,” he emphasized. Haiti’s National Police, alongside a U.N-endorsed mission led by Kenyan authorities, finds itself overwhelmed as they grapple with insufficient funding and resources in the fight against gangs.
Even with successful arrests, Haiti’s judicial system remains dysfunctional. A U.N. report reveals that “many courthouses are inactive, destroyed, or situated in unreachable locales, preventing judicial personnel and lawyers from access.” Le Cour criticized the designation as an inadequate policy approach, warning against its potential to overlook current realities. He urged that the designation also address those in the U.S. who clandestinely transmit firearms and facilitate the influx of ammunition and arms into Haiti.