By Le Floridien _________
Not even the ocean offers safety anymore for the people of Haiti. The residents of La Gonâve, a small island off the coast of the Haitian mainland, are now living under a maritime blockade imposed by heavily armed gangs. These criminals, now acting as modern-day pirates, routinely hijack boats, steal engines and cargo, and forcibly divert vessels traveling between the island and the mainland.
Shipowners are often forced to pay exorbitant ransoms to recover their boats—payments that bring no guarantees. In a recent case, one shipowner reportedly paid more than $75,000 but had yet to recover his vessel.
This wave of violence is having devastating consequences on the island’s fragile economy. The cost of maritime transport has skyrocketed, and the prices of essential goods have surged beyond the reach of many families. Numerous shipowners are financially ruined, and several sailors have been injured during these attacks. Fearing for their lives, many captains have suspended operations altogether. This has put the island’s access to fuel, medicine, and food—all vital for its survival—in serious jeopardy.
Pastor Lamour Boursiquot, speaking to a Radio Métropole reporter, warned of the risk of both economic and humanitarian asphyxiation. La Gonâve depends almost entirely on its maritime links to coastal cities like Saint-Marc, Arcahaie, Léogâne, Miragoâne, and Petit-Goâve. Without these supply routes, the island cannot sustain itself—not even in terms of basic necessities like drinking water.
Although these gangs do not maintain fixed bases on La Gonâve itself, they operate from strategic points at sea, such as the rocky outcrops of Cressant, Trou Sable, and Ti Gonâve, from which they launch their attacks. Maritime routes between Anse-à-Galets and Arcahaie or Montrouis are now under the control of the notorious gangs from Village-de-Dieu and Mariani. Meanwhile, the authorities remain focused on securing the port of Port-au-Prince, leaving much of the coastline—and La Gonâve in particular—without any real protection.
Former Senator Patrice Dumont has strongly criticized the government’s inaction in the face of this escalating insecurity. He also cast doubt on the government’s promises of increased maritime patrols. Although Fritz Alphonse Jean, the coordinator of the Presidential Transition Council (CPT), recently announced the reinforcement of the Haitian Coast Guard with vessels donated by the United States, there is little visible progress on the ground.
La Gonâve today finds itself isolated, vulnerable, and economically strangled by gangs who now rule the sea, while the Haitian authorities seem indifferent to the suffering of its people.
