All photos courtesy of Unsplash
The country of Haiti occupies the western half of the island of Hispaniola. The eastern part is the Dominican Republic. Haiti is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere and has been traumatised by many unfortunate events. For decades it was ruled by draconian autocrats who employed henchmen to enforce their rules and dominate the people. More lately the country has developed an electoral system but corruption is endemic and instability is very much the order of the day.
In addition the country has experienced several severe natural disasters which have devastated large parts of the towns and cities. In August 2021 there was a terrible earthquake measuring 7.2 in magnitude that claimed the lives of 2,200 people. In December 2021 a petrol tanker in attempting to avoid hitting a motorcycle crashed in Cap-Hatien and exploded. The fireball it unleashed swept through nearby houses and businesses and over 90 people were killed. As well as natural events there is the ever present danger of death and kidnap by evil people. Gangs control many areas and significant numbers of people have been kidnapped, including Western personnel. This has become a means of securing finance and has made Haiti the kidnap capital of the Caribbean.
The political and economic instability was highlighted when the elected President was assassinated. The forces of law and order are fully stretched and can achieve very little, especially as many are corrupt and work hand in glove with the gangs.
