Haitian Gangs Threaten To 'Take To The Streets,' Leading Foreign Embassies To Advise Staff To Not Go Out

Foreign embassies and the United Nations in Haiti have advised officials to avoid going out following public threats from gangs controlling vast swaths of territory in the country.

One of them, Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, said gangs seek to "take to the streets" and advised people to stay indoors to "avoid becoming victims."

Another one known as "Krisla" called for a general strike and told people to "rise up en masse." He added that schools and government officers in Carrefour should stay closed on Monday, and only hospitals and the fire department should stay open.

"We are telling the Haitian people, the youth, we have to take our destiny in our hands," he added.

The Miami Herald detailed that the threats follow operations against the gangs that have sparked panic within their ranks. Members of Viv Ansanm, the largest gang in the country, exchanged fire with Marines guarding the U.S. embassy last week. The State Department added that security was not compromised.

In this context, a report by the UN noted that while gang attacks in Port-au-Prince have decreased, violence has intensified in farming communities and rural areas outside the capital.

Data from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti show that between July 1 and Sept. 30, at least 1,247 people were killed and 710 others were injured in gang-related incidents or in clashes involving self-defense groups, civilians, and security forces. The U.N. also recorded 145 kidnappings for ransom and 400 cases of sexual violence during that period.

"Sexual violence perpetrated by armed gangs remains at an alarming level," the U.N. said. "Most of these acts involve gang rapes, often committed during home invasions or while victims are moving through the streets. Such sexual violence, frequently used as a tool of exploitation or punishment, has devastating physical, psychological, economic, and social consequences for survivors and their families."

The report highlighted that although the number of attacks has slightly dropped in gang-controlled areas of metropolitan Port-au-Prince, the scale and brutality of assaults in other regions remain severe.

The report cited by the Herald noted that while Haitian security forces have reclaimed several neighborhoods once controlled by gangs, they have failed to regain control of others, including Kenscoff, a hillside community overlooking Port-au-Prince that has faced gang attacks since early 2025.