As thousands march behind a gang leader labeled a terrorist, Haitians are forced to ask—who really holds power in a broken state?
By The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team
In a stunning and unsettling show of force, thousands of residents flooded the streets of Carrefour this past week—not for Carnival, not for a festival, but in response to a call from Christ-Roi Chéry, alias “Krisla,” a known gang leader and alleged criminal.
What unfolded was a protest so large, so visible, and so disruptive that it paralyzed the entire commune for days. Schools, markets, and transport systems came to a complete halt. The message? The people of Carrefour are fed up with the absence of governance—and some, it appears, are willing to stand behind anyone who claims to offer an alternative.
The Protest No One Could Ignore
For three consecutive days, Carrefour looked like a commune under martial law—not by the state, but by the will of one armed man and those who answered his call. Krisla’s demands? The appointment of a local council, action against a system he labeled “rotten,” and recognition of a power vacuum he now claims to fill.
The protest was not a few dozen loud voices. It was a wave of humanity.
“It wasn’t about loving Krisla,” said one resident who asked not to be named. “It was about showing we’re tired of being ignored. If the state won’t speak for us, someone else will.”
A Dangerous Kind of Influence
Let’s be clear: The Haitian Pulse does not support or excuse the actions of any gang, including Krisla or those in the G9/G-Pep/Viv Ansanm coalitions. But journalism demands we ask the hard questions: What does it mean when a gang leader can mobilize more people than a political party? Why are communities responding to these calls?
The answer, in part, lies in desperation. Carrefour has been abandoned. With no police force, no local mayor, and no functioning public services, people are surviving—not living.
“The people followed him because there’s no one else to follow,” said a local teacher. “They don’t believe in the politicians. They don’t believe in the police. So they follow whoever’s left.”
Broken Promises and Familiar Patterns
Krisla's call for unification and revolution isn’t new. We've seen similar rhetoric from other gang leaders in Haiti, especially in 2023 and 2024. Each time, hope has been followed by violence. Promises of reform have turned into territory wars. “Power to the people” slogans have too often masked extortion, kidnappings, and gun violence.
“These men say they want to fix the country, but give it a month and they go back to robbing us,” said a small business owner in Carrefour. “We’ve heard it all before.”
So while the protest reveals how deeply the system has failed, it also shows how quickly a vacuum can be filled by figures who have no intention of delivering lasting peace or legitimate governance.
A Crossroads for the People
What we saw in Carrefour wasn’t just a protest—it was a portrait of national confusion. While some shouted in support, others joined out of fear or necessity. Others watched in silence, unsure whether to resist or comply.
One thing is certain: mass mobilization behind any unelected, unaccountable armed figure is not sustainable, and it is not a revolution.
“This isn’t unity. It’s survival,” said an elder from Ti Bwa. “People aren’t rallying because they believe. They’re rallying because they’re afraid not to.”
Our Position
The Haitian Pulse is not here to glorify gang leaders. We are here to report what the people are experiencing and to challenge the nation to think critically about where this road leads.
Krisla’s protest was not just a demonstration—it was a warning sign. When thousands willingly or reluctantly follow a man labeled as a terrorist, the state must understand: people are not aligning with gangs out of love—they are reacting to a total absence of hope.
If we fail to fill that void with legitimate leadership, we are simply waiting for the next Krisla, the next Barbecue, the next power vacuum to be filled by force.
This is a time to ask hard questions, not to pick sides.
Who will lead? Who will rebuild? And who will finally bring the people of Haiti a peace not promised by guns, but protected by justice?
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