January 14, 2026
The massacre in Labodri, in the commune of Cabaret, prompted the government to issue a statement on September 15, 2025, promising an “uncompromising” response. The declaration, though firm in tone, comes after several days of silence, while the neighboring population of Arcahaie has endured repeated attacks by the Viv Ansanm gang for nine days.
The Prime Minister says he convened the high command of the Haitian National Police and ordered the deployment of specialized units. Yet these directives come when the human and material damage is already considerable, and residents denounce the authorities’ prolonged inaction.
The statement stresses the need to “reinforce the security grid” around Cabaret and Arcahaie to contain the violence. But this promise rings hollow for communities still waiting for effective patrols and a police presence capable of repelling the assaults.
A medical and humanitarian assistance component is announced for the victims, but here again, aid has been slow to materialize. The prevailing impression remains that of a state reactive in its words but absent on the ground in the face of the emergency.
By asserting that “the Republic will never yield,” the authorities are trying to reassure an already wounded population. Yet the SOS calls sent out for more than a week by Arcahaie residents show that trust has been broken: the gangs advance, and the state—bogged down in its slowness—merely tries to catch up with time it no longer controls.
