A Haitian television network has reported that its premises, along with those of other businesses, were “looted and set on fire” this weekend by members of the Viv Ansanm gang in the capital, Port-au-Prince. This incident occurred just days after the same group attacked the headquarters of Radio Télévision du Caribe (RTCV), the largest media group in the Caribbean nation.

In a statement on its website, Télé Pluriel, which broadcasts in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, confirmed that armed men from the Viv Ansanm gang “looted and burned several establishments” in the Delmas 19 district during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

The network noted that these locations had been “emptied of their equipment before the bandits set them ablaze.” Télé Pluriel expressed dismay at the “cynicism and laxity of Haitian authorities” in addressing the security issues faced by the population.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé stated last week that these acts “will not go unpunished,” referring to the fire set by the same gang against RTCV’s facilities on Wednesday night. Earlier in 2024, a wave of violence swept through Haiti, prompting then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. Henry had taken office amid criticism following years of instability after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his official residence by armed individuals in 2021.

Since last year, a Presidential Transition Council has been established with the aim of restoring peace and creating a Provisional Electoral Council to organize Haiti’s first elections in a decade. The country is currently under the watch of an international police contingent led by Kenya, which has so far proven ineffective in curbing gang activities.

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