1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,533 JOHN YANG: Haitian immigrants find themselves at the center of presidential politics this fall as 2 00:00:04,533 --> 00:00:09,266 former President Trump and his supporters repeatedly make baseless claims about them. 3 00:00:09,266 --> 00:00:14,233 Most of them came here to escape Haiti's humanitarian crisis brought on by wide scale 4 00:00:14,233 --> 00:00:19,233 gang violence. Ali Rogan tells us how Haitian leaders are trying to restore the rule of law. 5 00:00:23,433 --> 00:00:25,933 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Outside the small town of Pont-Sonde, 6 00:00:25,933 --> 00:00:30,933 residents try to flee violence in a country where it is becoming inescapable. The Grand Griff gang 7 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:36,900 last month used canoes to mount a surprise attack against the riverfront town. At least 115 people, 8 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:43,666 including young mothers, babies and the elderly, were massacred. 9 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,433 SILFISE, Displaced Haitian (through translator): I lost many relatives, nieces, cousins, aunts, 10 00:00:48,433 --> 00:00:52,066 uncles. They're all dead. They were buried without a funeral. They dug holes and put them inside. 11 00:00:54,033 --> 00:00:56,066 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): The gang had warned that it planned to target the town, 12 00:00:56,066 --> 00:01:00,133 leaving survivors asking why nothing was done to stop them. Haiti's interim Prime 13 00:01:00,133 --> 00:01:05,033 Minister Garry Conille, visited the wounded and urged locals to trust the police. 14 00:01:06,933 --> 00:01:09,066 GARRY CONILLE, Interim Prime Minister, Haiti (through translator): I don't know 15 00:01:09,066 --> 00:01:11,466 how long it is going to take, one day or one month. The police cannot do this work alone. 16 00:01:13,466 --> 00:01:17,500 It needs to be done with the population, and the population needs to start to play 17 00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:22,500 its part. We will be very strict with the gangs to bring them to justice. 18 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,133 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): But that justice has proven elusive. Haiti's roughly 12,000 police 19 00:01:27,133 --> 00:01:32,133 officers are outgunned. More than 150 armed gangs are sprawled throughout the country, 20 00:01:34,100 --> 00:01:37,200 many wielding firearms trafficked from the United States. The Pont-Sonde attack 21 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,766 was the island nation's latest mass slaughter in a long chapter of violence. 22 00:01:41,766 --> 00:01:46,733 Since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise by foreign mercenaries, 23 00:01:48,833 --> 00:01:52,000 bloodshed has escalated as gangs vie for control of the country. Then prime minister Ariel Henry, 24 00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:57,466 who assumed power after Moise's killing, requested that international police 25 00:01:57,466 --> 00:02:01,400 intervene. While he was traveling abroad in February to secure them, 26 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:06,133 rival gangs joined forces. They launched an assault across the capital, Port-au-Prince, 27 00:02:06,133 --> 00:02:10,533 in March, attacking the airport, police stations and port facilities. 28 00:02:10,533 --> 00:02:15,533 They also freed over 4,600 inmates from Haiti's two largest prisons, 29 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:20,633 several of them notorious gang leaders. Diego Da Rin is a Haiti analyst for the 30 00:02:20,633 --> 00:02:24,966 International Crisis Group. He says, right now, the gangs have the power. 31 00:02:24,966 --> 00:02:27,700 DIEGO DA RIN, Haiti Analyst, International Crisis Group: It is estimated that they exert control or 32 00:02:27,700 --> 00:02:32,700 influence over some 80 percent of the capital. And their strongholds are located in the most 33 00:02:37,066 --> 00:02:42,066 poor neighborhoods of the capital, in which the most important economic activities are 34 00:02:44,033 --> 00:02:46,700 also concentrated, for example, the ports and the most important industrial parks. 35 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:49,166 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Gang violence has spread beyond the capital to the 36 00:02:49,166 --> 00:02:53,766 neighboring Artibonite region, the site of the Pont-Sonde massacre. This chaos 37 00:02:53,766 --> 00:02:56,733 spurred the international community to intervene. 38 00:02:56,733 --> 00:03:01,700 This summer, forces from several countries began arriving on Haitian shores. Today, there are about 39 00:03:03,766 --> 00:03:06,933 430 mostly Kenyan security personnel on the ground to help patrol the streets and protect 40 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:12,500 key Infrastructure. And 600 more Kenyan police officers are expected to deploy later this month. 41 00:03:13,900 --> 00:03:16,100 Prominent gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, 42 00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:21,100 widely known as Barbecue, commanded his men to fight back. 43 00:03:23,466 --> 00:03:25,666 JIMMY CHERIZIER, Gang Leader (through translator): Our names will be remembered by history as young 44 00:03:25,666 --> 00:03:29,000 people who took up arms to free their country. Our battle is a personal fight. We are at war. 45 00:03:30,933 --> 00:03:35,400 They're not Haitian, and they're on Haitian soil. I consider them to be invaders. 46 00:03:36,866 --> 00:03:38,833 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): The U.N. says the mission is underfunded, 47 00:03:38,833 --> 00:03:43,733 under resourced, and has only deployed a fraction of the expected 2,500 troops. 48 00:03:45,533 --> 00:03:49,033 DEIGO DA RIN: They have struggled to start launching offensive operations 49 00:03:50,333 --> 00:03:52,600 against the gangs in their strongholds because 50 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,600 they don't have enough personnel and enough equipment yet to do so. 51 00:03:59,133 --> 00:04:00,966 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Gang violence and natural disasters 52 00:04:00,966 --> 00:04:04,866 have only exacerbated a cascading humanitarian crisis. Over 700,000 53 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:10,200 Haitians have been driven from their homes. More than half are women and children. 54 00:04:12,066 --> 00:04:14,200 JESULA SAINT JEAN, Displaced Haitian (through translator): Today we are on 55 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,333 the street with nothing in our arms but our babies. We do not know where to go. I had 56 00:04:16,333 --> 00:04:20,933 to leave other children behind and I don't know if anyone's going to look after them. 57 00:04:20,933 --> 00:04:23,800 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Gang control has also squeezed the flow of food, 58 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,033 driving up prices and causing many to starve. Rita Losandieu looks after 59 00:04:28,033 --> 00:04:32,966 her four and six year old granddaughters while her two sons send her money to live. 60 00:04:32,966 --> 00:04:34,733 RITA LOSANDIEU, Grand Mother (through translator): Things are very expensive. 61 00:04:34,733 --> 00:04:38,000 It's a problem to buy anything to eat. You must have a lot of money 62 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,966 in order to just buy enough for three meals. It's very difficult. 63 00:04:42,966 --> 00:04:46,700 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Violence has also led to the closure of over 900 schools, 64 00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:51,100 affecting more than 200,000 children. Garry Pierre-Pierre is the founder of 65 00:04:51,100 --> 00:04:56,100 the English Language Haitian Times. He says these conditions have created a pipeline to the gangs. 66 00:04:58,133 --> 00:05:00,833 GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE, The Haitian Times: The lack of opportunities for young people to go to 67 00:05:00,833 --> 00:05:05,833 high school, to go to college or university is non-existent in Haiti. You have young 68 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:12,233 people attracted to the gangs because it gives them a sense of belonging, 69 00:05:12,233 --> 00:05:16,366 a sense of purpose, and so the ranks are growing. 70 00:05:16,366 --> 00:05:20,133 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): In the midst of the crisis, Haiti is trying to rebuild its government. 71 00:05:20,133 --> 00:05:25,100 In April, the country formed an interim government which appointed a new prime minister. And last 72 00:05:25,100 --> 00:05:29,633 month, they established an electoral council which is working to hold elections by 2026. 73 00:05:31,666 --> 00:05:34,833 They would be the first general elections held in a decade. But Haitian investigators 74 00:05:34,833 --> 00:05:38,666 recently accused three members of the interim government of bribery. 75 00:05:38,666 --> 00:05:42,700 GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE: It's holding back the country in ways that it doesn't hurt other 76 00:05:42,700 --> 00:05:47,700 places because we need every dollar. And I think part of the problem is that many of these people 77 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,400 go into politics. It's a business. It's a way for them to make money. It's not about the state. 78 00:05:57,366 --> 00:05:59,633 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Meanwhile, gangs may be biding their time. 79 00:05:59,633 --> 00:06:04,633 DEIGO DA RIN: There seems to be a tense calm in many places that had been attacked 80 00:06:07,033 --> 00:06:12,033 in previous months. The gangs might exert a very important influence over the elections, 81 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,533 controlling how people will vote in the areas that they control. 82 00:06:18,533 --> 00:06:20,066 ALI ROGIN (voice-over): A different kind of threat 83 00:06:20,066 --> 00:06:24,033 from a familiar foe. For PBS News Weekend, I'm Ali Rogin.