Where Did the Money Go?
On July 6, 2018, Haitians launched sustained protests demanding accountability for the PetroCaribe fund—$2 billion+ in Venezuelan subsidized oil revenues that disappeared into corruption. The “Kot Kòb PetroCaribe a?” (Where is the PetroCaribe money?) movement evolved into broader demands for President Jovenel Moïse’s resignation, ending gang violence, and addressing catastrophic poverty in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.
PetroCaribe Scandal and Fuel Price Hikes
Venezuela’s PetroCaribe program (2008-2018) provided Haiti discounted oil with deferred payment terms, generating billions meant for development projects. A 2019 Senate investigation revealed massive embezzlement by government officials and contractors—with little infrastructure to show for spending.
The immediate catalyst was July 2018 fuel subsidy elimination (IMF condition): gasoline prices spiked 51%, diesel 38%, kerosene 47%. Demonstrations erupted immediately, with protesters burning tires, blockading roads, and demanding Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant’s resignation. He resigned within days, but protests continued targeting President Moïse.
”Peyi Lock” and State Collapse
Haiti’s protests followed a pattern of “peyi lock” (country lockdown)—nationwide work stoppages, road blockades, and business closures that paralyzed Port-au-Prince for days or weeks at a time. Schools closed, hospitals ran out of supplies, and fuel shortages crippled transportation.
Demonstrations were decentralized and youth-led, lacking unified leadership but united by corruption anger. Protesters demanded Moïse’s resignation, constitutional reform, lower living costs, and gang violence accountability—as armed groups increasingly controlled neighborhoods with perceived government complicity.
Violence escalated: police used live ammunition killing dozens, while gangs attacked protesters. In November 2018, the UN documented La Saline massacre where gang members and police killed 71 civilians, raped women, and burned homes—allegedly politically motivated targeting of Moïse opposition strongholds.
Moïse’s Assassination and Deepening Crisis
Moïse refused to resign despite months of protests and political opposition, ruling by decree after Parliament’s January 2020 dissolution. Gang violence surged—G9 coalition led by former police officer Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier controlled much of Port-au-Prince, with allegations of government support to terrorize opposition areas.
On July 7, 2021, armed assassins killed Moïse in his residence—a still-murky plot involving Colombian mercenaries, Haitian oligarchs, and possible foreign connections. His death plunged Haiti into deeper chaos rather than resolution.
Acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry assumed power without elections. Gang violence worsened—kidnappings became endemic, territorial control expanded, and humanitarian catastrophe deepened. In 2023, Kenya-led international intervention was proposed to combat gangs, though many Haitians rejected foreign military presence given historical abuses.
Haiti’s protests exposed a failed state: corrupt elites embezzling billions while the population endured poverty, violence, and collapsed institutions. PetroCaribe accountability remained unaddressed, Moïse’s assassination unsolved, and gang violence unchecked—demonstrating protest movements’ limits when state infrastructure has fundamentally disintegrated.
Sources:
Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Miami Herald, Haiti Liberté, Human Rights Watch, RNDDH (National Human Rights Defense Network)