Meanwhile in Haiti

By Scott Morgan

Lets face it. 2021 has not been kind to Haiti.  It has had a President Assassinated in a daring raid on his residence in the middle of the night, then an earthquake caused considerable damage but a problem that has transcended both events has made its presence felt.

The problem is kidnapping. It is a for profit enterprise for some, for others its a way to exercise control or act on the whims of the political elite who seem to be calling the shots in the poverty stricken Caribbean nation. But an incident that took place over the weekend of October 16th has raised some concerns.

On that evening a mass kidnapping took place. A group of 17 Missionaries, the majority of them from the United States with one being from Canada were taken hostage. The incident took place in a section of the capital Port-au-Prince that is notorious for criminal activity. The group was actually leaving an orphanage after providing services to the residents. 

While the incident was actually taking place the hostages were in fact using WhatsApp in an effort to call for help and to let the group in Ohio know that the incident was under way. The very next day the US State Department revealed that they were aware of the incident and issued no further statements about the situation. 

It is rare for organized gangs in Haiti to target foreigners for kidnapping. A Haitian NGO has documented that of 628 kidnappings that were documented so far this year, only 29 of them were Foreigners. The group also reported that kidnappings have risen over 300% in September when compared to figures compared for the month of July. 

When after 48 hours it was announced that the kidnappers were seeking a 17 Million USD ransom (1 Million Dollars per hostage) for the group which also includes one wife and five children one has to delve deep in order to determine what the motive for the event is other than just another quick payday. 

When asked during the daily press briefing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) had a team already in Haiti as part of a coordinated effort by the Biden Administration to get the Missionaries released. After the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this summer there is some doubts that the US will be able to rescue these hostages.

The people of Hait have suffered too much since July. While the effort to locate the victims was underway there were protests and and a general strike called as a result of the pervasive violence in the country and to protest the poor economic conditions that appear to have no sign of resolution in the near future. 

There is some hope that a new President and Prime Minister will bring about the sorely needed changes that could jump start the Haitian Economy. 

But will it be too late for these kidnapping victims? Hopefully it is not. 

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