A deadly gang attack in Haiti earlier this week highlights the ongoing dangers journalists face in a country plagued by gang violence.
Two journalists, including one who worked with Voice of America (VOA), were killed, and seven others injured when armed men opened fire on reporters at the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital in Port-au-Prince.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack, offering condolences to the victims’ families and calling on Haitian authorities to ensure justice.
One of the victims, Marckendy Natoux, worked with VOA’s Creole Service and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. He was also a contributor to local outlets such as Heritage Express News and Boston Caribbean Network. Natoux, described by his colleagues as dedicated and generous, often assisted both his team and the local community. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Another journalist, Jimmy Jean, who reported for the online outlet Moun Afe Bon, was also killed in the attack.
The Viv Ansanm gang coalition, led by Johnson “Izo” Andre, claimed responsibility, stating their anger over the government reopening the hospital without consulting them.
The gang surrounded the facility and fired through a metal gate. Haitian journalist groups called the attack “a macabre scene” and urged authorities to avoid putting journalists in danger during official events.
Haitian officials strongly condemned the violence. The prime minister’s office called it an “unacceptable assault on the foundations of society,” while transitional council president Leslie Voltaire pledged that the perpetrators would face consequences. Voltaire also expressed condolences to the victims, the police, and the journalists involved.
The Haitian health minister was sacked yesterday for arranging the ceremony without proper notification or security arrangements.
According to The Associated Press, on Thursday two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic said Health Minister Duckenson Lorthe would be replaced by Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier until a new health minister was found.
Haiti has been rocked by severe gang violence and political instability since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home in 2021 by a group of foreign mercenaries in a plot that authorities said also involved elite Haitian police officers.
More than 5,300 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Haiti in 2024, according to the United Nations. And more than 2,100 people have been injured in gang-related violence.
Also in 2024, CPJ ranked Haiti worst in the world in terms of impunity in journalist killings. The press freedom group has documented seven targeted journalist killings in the Caribbean nation over the past decade. To date, none of those killings have been solved.
“With increased violence, the dangers to journalists rise,” CPJ chief Jodie Ginsberg told VOA in October. “Haiti being at the top of this year’s impunity index is really a reflection of that increased violence.”
Haiti ranks 93rd out of 180 countries on the Global Press Freedom Index, where 1 reflects the best media freedom environment.
Source: VOA.
