January 29, 2026
An armed group carried out a deadly raid on the night of December 11–12, 2025, in Opak, Léogâne, ransacking and setting fire to several homes and forcing dozens of families to flee. Among the victims was Eugène Cinéaste, a member of the Communal Section Administration Council (CASEC) and a respected local figure, who was coldly executed by the attackers.
The violent attack, which left at least two people dead and caused significant material damage, occurred amid the alarming spread of gang violence beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince. Despite rising insecurity in the area, no intervention by law enforcement was reported during the attack, leaving Opak’s residents alone in the face of their assailants.
The killing of Eugène Cinéaste, an elected local representative, symbolizes the severity of the security crisis now affecting institutions and rural communities in Haiti. The authorities’ inability to protect citizens and their elected officials fuels a deep sense of abandonment and anxiety among the population.
In this climate of fear, residents are now urgently calling for the deployment of specialized units to prevent further abuses and restore a semblance of security. This brutal execution starkly raises the question of the State’s capacity to halt the advance of armed groups and guarantee the safety of persons and property across the territory.
