Haitian Pulse - Politics

The silence of Haiti’s media is no accident—it’s betrayal bought with blood money.

Politics & Power | The Haitian Pulse Investigative Team | July 21 2025

It’s been five days since Réginald Boulos—a man accused of financing gang violence, orchestrating civilian massacres, and playing an alleged role in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse—was arrested. And what has Haiti’s mainstream media done? Nothing. Not a single mention. No emergency broadcasts. No investigative reports. Only deafening silence.

This isn’t caution or restraint. This is complicity—media corruption so deep it has become the backbone of the system oppressing Haiti. This silence is not just cowardice; it’s an act of war against the Haitian people, a betrayal of the very responsibility that the press pretends to carry.

The Death of the Fourth Estate

Radio Caraïbes. Once revered as the station of the people, today it reads like a carefully scripted symphony orchestrated for the elites. Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s venerable daily, now functions more like a newsletter for oligarchs than the voice of a free press. Télé Métropole’s evening news flashes petty crime stories and curated entertainment, but on the arrest of Boulos—a man at the center of decades of Haiti’s bloodshed—they remain mute.

They want us to believe this silence is prudence. “We’re waiting for clarity… we need confirmation from U.S. outlets.” But there is no lack of clarity. What there is, is a lack of courage and a surplus of allegiance. The very institutions that should guard democracy are smothering it, one act of omission at a time.

Bought, Paid For—and Owned

Haiti’s mainstream media isn’t free. It isn’t independent. It isn’t even neutral. It is owned, body and soul, by the corrupt elite who built the system Haitians are suffering under today.

Their business models depend on advertising dollars and shadow funding from powerful figures—many of whom, like Boulos, have a vested interest in suppressing the truth. Reporters don’t stay silent because they’re terrified of retribution; they do so because their salaries depend on compliance. In exchange for lucrative deals, these outlets offer what the oligarchy wants most: silence.

“This isn’t fear keeping them quiet—it’s loyalty to the people lining their pockets.”

Their Silence is Complicity

Silence from the media is not neutral—it's an endorsement of oppression. It allows men like Boulos to operate in darkness, protected from scrutiny. Every hour this story remains untold, democracy bleeds and corruption spreads like a disease.

Meanwhile, independent media outlets and social media platforms are ablaze with leaks, footage, and public outrage. It is clear: the traditional press has become an enemy of truth, and by extension, an enemy of the Haitian people.

Shaming the Gatekeepers

• Radio Caraïbes: Once hailed for its tough questions, now a megaphone for the powerful, ignoring the biggest arrest in Haitian history.

• Le Nouvelliste: The nation’s oldest newspaper—once fearless in the face of dictators—is now a timid lapdog, publishing nothing but press releases.

• Télé Métropole: Obsessed with petty crimes and sensationalism, yet silent about the biggest crime in Haiti’s political history.

This isn’t oversight. This is deliberate censorship, bought and paid for. These outlets are not waiting for facts; they’re waiting for instructions.

Exposing the Systemic Rot

When you dig into Haiti’s media, you find a stench that runs from newsroom to boardroom. The same oligarchs funding armed gangs are the ones underwriting editorial decisions. Every paycheck, every sponsorship, every “gift” ties journalists to a chain of corruption.

Boulos’s arrest threatened to snap that chain. And so, the editors and owners chose silence—to preserve the rot that feeds them.

A Nation Ignored—A People Betrayed

The Haitian public is not fooled. On WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and in crowded streets, Haitians whisper and rage:

• “Why the silence?”

• “Who funds these lies?”

• “Are we living in a country with no truth left?”

Across the diaspora, independent podcasts and alternative publications are fighting to expose the truth. But inside Haiti, the mainstream media behaves like a paid accomplice to our suffering.

Fueling the Crisis of Trust

When the media—the supposed guardian of democracy—betrays its duty, society collapses. The legislative, executive, and judiciary have already fallen to corruption. Now, with the press corrupted, the Haitian people are left with no defenders.

This betrayal erodes confidence in every institution. Without trusted media, truth dies. And when truth dies, tyranny rises.

A Media Rebellion: Time to Act

Haitians can no longer afford to wait for these outlets to find their spine. The time has come to build an entirely new media order:

1. Oil the Gears of Truth

   • Support independent outlets that refuse to bow to elites. Fund journalists who fight for the people.

2. Dismantle the Ownership Conspiracy

   • Demand transparency in media ownership. No secret political or financial entanglements.

3. Empower the People

   • Establish citizen-led councils to monitor, critique, and punish media outlets that betray their mission.

4. Enshrine Press Protections

   • Protect courageous journalists with strict laws—and punish those who threaten them.

5. Reignite Public Literacy

   • Teach Haitians to recognize propaganda, demand accountability, and reject the corrupt.

A Revolutionary Manifesto

We refuse to stay silent in a nation drowning in silence.

At The Haitian Pulse, we are drawing a line in the sand. The Boulos case is not just about one man—it is about breaking the grip of corruption that has suffocated this country for generations. We will dig through court records, confront witnesses, expose hidden networks of power, and give voice to the anger of a betrayed people.

We will not sit idle waiting for Washington, Paris, or any foreign voice to validate our reality. This is Haiti’s story, Haiti’s fight, and Haiti’s justice.

A Call to the Nation

To every Haitian who has ever doubted the news:

• Demand more. We deserve the truth.

• Share what you know. Leaks, documents, witnesses—all matter.

• Reject the silence. Stop consuming propaganda and support fearless voices.

This is our revolution. This is our media.