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Haiti’s Gangs Become Powerful Wealthy
A chilling report by a Geneva-based research group paints a picture of Haitian gangs evolving into self-funding “violent entrepreneurs,” raising concerns about the effectiveness of a planned UN-backed intervention.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime report details how gangs are extorting businesses, residents, and even kidnapping victims to finance their operations, amassing an estimated $25 million annually. This newfound economic muscle has made them “far more economically autonomous and territorially powerful,” the report warns.
The report highlights a shift from gangs relying on “public or private patronage” to coercing businesses into paying up to $20,000 per week. Gang checkpoints extort daily sums of up to $8,000, operating with a disturbing level of “bureaucracy,” even issuing weekly passes for faster processing.
The report estimates the “kidnapping industry” alone generates $25 million annually, with mass kidnappings of busloads becoming a worrying trend. This raises concerns about the potential for organ trafficking, as reports of organ-less bodies left on streets and gang-run clinics emerge.
With gangs wielding growing financial power and territorial control, the report cautions that the planned UN intervention faces a significant challenge. The UN force, requested by Haiti’s unelected government last October, lacks details on size and deployment date, adding to the uncertainty.
Vybz Kartel Fights for Freedom in Final Appeal
Jailed Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel, known as Adidja Palmer in real life, made a final bid for freedom on Wednesday, appealing his murder conviction at the Privy Council in London. The musician, famous for collaborations with Jay-Z and Rihanna, has been imprisoned since 2011 following the disappearance of his associate, Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Kartel, 48, and three co-defendants were convicted in 2014 after a lengthy trial, one of the longest in Jamaican history. They maintain their innocence and claim the conviction should be overturned due to two key issues.
Firstly, their lawyers argue that incriminating messages used by the prosecution were obtained illegally, violating Jamaican law and tainting the evidence. Secondly, they allege that the judge mishandled claims of jury tampering, where a juror allegedly offered bribes to sway the verdict, potentially influencing the jury unfairly.
The prosecution counters, stating the evidence against Kartel, in particular, was “overwhelming” and any irregularities wouldn’t have impacted the outcome.
This hearing represents Kartel’s last chance to challenge his life sentence, reduced to 32-and-a-half years on appeal. The stakes are high, as it will determine if Jamaica’s musical giant walks free or remains behind bars
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