Armed Gangs Invade Gros Morne 

Last week saw days of violent protests in Haiti. Thousands took to the streets across the country to demand that de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down, as required by law on February 7. 

On February 7 armed gangs invaded the town of Gros Morne, the center of Quixote Center’s work for many years. The invaders were heavily armed and shooting. Our partners report that there were injuries but no deaths. The community’s central market shut down and people fled to their homes, where they remain this week. Schools are closed and the market remains closed; with the closure people do not have a source of food or cash. The main road north out of town is also blocked.  

So far the gangs have not returned after their initial incursion, but the entire community is on edge, hoping for the best but remaining inside. The pervasive fear and lack of mobility makes it difficult for our partners to sustain the crucial agricultural and economic development work. 

Haiti does not produce arms or ammunition. Haiti’s armed groups obtain weapons illegally from the United States. According to a 2023 United Nations report, networks of criminals source guns in states with loose gun laws, and ship them to Florida, where gangs conceal and ship them to Haiti. As I write this, we are reading about the horrific outbreak of gun violence at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade. The violence in Gros Morne and the violence in Kansas City have the same root cause: it is too easy to buy weapons in the United States.  

We do not understand why our own government does not intercept these shipments before they leave Florida. We are working on scheduling a meeting with officials at Homeland Security to ask that question and to identify what kinds of advocacy would be necessary to address the issue. 

An additional root cause of weapons proliferation in Latin American and the Caribbean was a change in oversight over export licenses under the Trump Administration, with the support of National Rifle Association lobbying efforts. Small arms authority was transferred from the State Department to the Commerce Department, creating fewer registration requirements, less oversight, and more exemptions. According to Representative Castro’s office, the change led to a 30 percent annual increase in arms exports, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, an 82% increase in handgun exports. 

Last week we released an action inviting each of you to write to your Representative to support the ARMAS Act, which Rep. Castro introduced in December. The ARMAS Act would address this issue of export licenses, moving authority back to the State Department and requiring additional oversight and reporting. Thank you to those you already responded! If you have not, you can find the action here. Please consider expanding our influence and forwarding this opportunity to take action to five friends. 

We have spoken with Senators Cardin, Van Hollen, and Murphy about a Senate version of this legislation. If you are from Maryland or Connecticut, we invite you to call their offices and express your support for a Senate version of HR6618. You can reach them through the Capitol Switchboard at 202- 224-3121. 

We thank you for your support. Light a candle for Haiti.