The city of Jacmel was brought to a standstill on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, following a large protest movement initiated by citizens to denounce rising insecurity.
This mobilization comes in response to recent attacks carried out by armed individuals in the greater Seguin area, in the commune of Marigot.
Starting at 9:00 a.m., politicians, business owners, members of organizations, religious leaders, and representatives of civil society gathered to launch the demonstration. Protesters marched through several parts of the city, including downtown, Sainte-Hélène, Lamandou, and the Aviation area. During the protest, several schools were forced to close, while public institutions and private businesses suspended their activities.
Demonstrators denounced what they describe as negligence by authorities, whom they hold responsible for the deterioration of the security situation. According to them, this has forced many residents of Seguin to flee their homes, while others have lost their lives.
Leriche Moïse, one of the protesters, said the South-East is “trapped” and issued an urgent appeal to police and judicial authorities. “It has become necessary to take to the streets. What is happening reflects the incompetence of the authorities,” he stated. He also criticized the handling of an incident involving the arrest of alleged bandits who, according to him, were not transferred in time to the Jacmel police station, which facilitated their release during the attack on the Seguin substation.
“The South-East will not become lost territory. We are asking the police and the justice system to regain control of Seguin to restore order. We have nowhere else to go,” he added.
For his part, Emmanuel Ladouceur strongly criticized the Director General of the Haitian National Police (PNH), Vladimir Paraison, who is originally from the South-East. He believes that police reinforcements could have prevented the situation. He also stated that citizens are mobilizing to support the population of Seguin.
Meanwhile, Guerlince Lohier, principal of Lycée Pinchinat in Jacmel, described the situation as “orchestrated insecurity.” According to him, if the State had fulfilled its responsibilities, the victims of Seguin and other regions would still be alive. “Jacmel will not become lost territory like Martissant. We refuse to let bandits impose their law, burn our homes, and kill our children,” he said.
Some protesters also called for the resignation of the departmental police director of the South-East, Magalie Belneau. They also urged the departmental delegate Jude Pierre Michel Lafontant to take responsibility, warning that failure to act could make him complicit in the current situation.
