Haiti: faithful under bullets – When faith meets violence
On August 26, a tragic event shook the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. An evangelical pastor and his followers attempted to attack an armed gang in the Canaan neighborhood. Unfortunately, this operation turned into a tragedy, with at least 21 dead and many people missing. This investigation by the France 24 Observers editorial staff delves into the heart of this terrifying event and raises questions about the growing insecurity in Haiti and the role of faith in confronting violence.
The Piscine evangelical church in Bethesda, led by Pastor Marcorel Zidor, better known as Pastor Marco, is among the largest evangelical churches in Haiti, with 110,000 subscribers on its Facebook page. Pastor Marco made the bold decision to attack the “Taliban” gang plaguing the Canaan neighborhood. However, this attempted retaliation resulted in a violent reaction from the gang, who responded with gunfire, costing the lives of many followers.
To understand the context of this attack, it is essential to highlight the precarious security situation that prevails in Haiti. Armed gangs control a large part of Port-au-Prince, exercising a veritable reign of terror on the population. The figures speak for themselves: between January 1 and August 15, more than 2,400 people were killed and nearly 1,000 others were kidnapped, according to the UN. Faced with this helplessness of the authorities and the absence of effective measures to fight against gangs, some desperate citizens took the initiative to defend themselves by their own means.
This is not the first time Haitian residents have attempted to directly attack gangs. Last April, a fed-up movement, called “Bwa Kale”, emerged, pushing residents to hunt down and kill suspected gang members. However, the particularity of the August 26 incident lies in Pastor Marco’s appeal to his followers to actively participate in the attack. Until now, pastors have often simply encouraged worshipers to defend themselves against gangsters, but this time it was a direct call to action.
To understand this controversial and dangerous decision, it is essential to analyze the role of faith in this tragic episode. Pastor Marco reportedly assured his followers that God would protect them from enemy bullets. This belief in divine protection aroused the support of the faithful, who therefore launched into this perilous operation, armed with sticks and machetes. Some observers also highlight the presence of beliefs and practices inspired by voodoo, such as the use of stones as protective amulets against bullets.. This fusion of evangelical Christian faith and Voodoo traditions may seem surprising, but it illustrates the complexity and diversity of religious beliefs in Haiti.
This tragic event therefore raises essential questions about the growing insecurity in Haiti and the role of faith in confronting violence. It also highlights the urgency of effective action by the Haitian authorities to fight gangs and restore peace and security in the country. In the meantime, many faithful and ordinary citizens continue to live in fear, caught between the threat of gangs and the fragile glimmer of hope offered by their faith.