October 5, 2026
The Palmiste and Gran Grif gangs obtained the release of two relatives before freeing hundreds of civilian hostages in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite. This release occurred during the night of Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, September 27, after several hours of tension.
The two individuals arrested—a niece of Jonas, identified as the leader of Palmiste, and Arnod, a motorcycle-taxi driver linked to Gran Grif—had been apprehended by members of a self-defense coalition. They were subsequently handed over to officers of the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI), who ultimately transferred them to the Petite-Rivière police station.
In retaliation for these arrests, armed groups kidnapped more than 500 male and female farmers traveling to or returning from the Pont-Sondé market. According to human rights advocate Bertide Horace, the hostages were freed around 1:00 AM after the two arrested individuals rejoined their relatives in Palmiste.
However, this hostage-taking reportedly resulted in several civilian deaths among those attempting to escape the captors, according to testimonies relayed by the activist. Lower Artibonite remains under threat from armed groups, despite interventions by authorities, whose efforts reportedly have only consolidated their presence in Upper Artibonite.
