The Contemporary Origin of Armed Gangs in Haiti
- The author dates the contemporary origin of armed gangs in Haiti to the creation of the Volunteers of National Security (VSN, Tonton Makout) in 1959.
- He explains the spread of gang activity by inadequate policies, bad governance and interference by the international community.
- The conclusion cites over 6 million Haitians below the poverty line of 2.41 US dollars a day, according to UNDP and the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics.
- He calls for adequate social policies and a comprehensive, endogenous and participatory approach to insecurity.
The article documents the evolution of armed gangs in Haiti in relation to government and social policies. It places their contemporary origin in the Duvalier period, with the creation of the Volunteers of National Security (VSN, Tonton Makout) in 1959, and explains the spread of gang activity by inadequate policies, bad governance and interference by the international community.
The conclusion calls for adequate social policies, structural improvement of living conditions and an approach to insecurity that is comprehensive, endogenous and participatory. It cites over 6 million Haitians below the poverty line of 2.41 US dollars a day out of 11,905,897 people, according to UNDP (2023) and the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (2021).
How to cite
Centre de Recherche Intégrée et Scientifique d'Haïti (CRISH), 2024, The Contemporary Origin of Armed Gangs in Haiti, https://lescientifique.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lorigine-contemporaine-des-gangs-armes-en-Haiti.pdf
- Rights holder
- Centre de Recherche Intégrée et Scientifique d'Haïti (CRISH)