March 17, 2026
On Wednesday, June 17, residents of Mirebalais forcefully took control of the Péligre hydroelectric plant, triggering widespread power outages across several regions, including the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The protest was sparked by the destruction of “Bèk Kare,” an armored vehicle partly funded by local citizens and seen as a symbol of their grassroots security efforts. The vehicle was reportedly disabled during a police operation targeting armed gangs.
In an act of protest, residents welded shut the gates of the facility and toppled power pylons, severely disrupting the national electricity distribution network. For many, the loss of the vehicle represented a betrayal of their collective investment in local security. Others, however, viewed the disruption of national power supply as disproportionate to the grievance.
This incident echoes a similar event in mid-May, when residents of Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau disabled the Péligre plant, resulting in a ten-day blackout in the capital. At that time, power was restored only after a meeting with Transitional Presidential Council leader Fritz Alphonse Jean, during which the protesters were promised concrete security measures.
