Jimmy Cherizier, an infamous gang leader in Haiti, has called for a truce as the country works to recover from the aftermath of its most recent earthquake.
Cherizier, referred to as “Barbecue,” was a Haiti National police officer at one time. Now, he is considered the de-facto king of Port-Au-Prince. He runs a group called the G9, a conglomerate of powerful local gangs that he formed last year in a bid to refocus the violence they were waging against one another on Haiti’s ruling class instead.
In a video, Cherizier called on fellow “compatriots” to come together for the good of the victims of the massive earthquake that hit the country on August 14, reported the Miami Herald.
“Everyone knows that the victims will need water, food, tents, tarpaulins,” Cherizier said. “We invite all those who can to help us strengthen this momentum of solidarity by providing all they can.”
In the video, Cherizier also informed that gang leaders in the notorious Third District have agreed to a temporary truce in order to help those giving assistance pass through. The Third District is gang-controlled.
The Nippes, Southwest and Grand’Anse regions of Haiti have been hardest hit by the earthquake but the gang presence has previously made efforts to get aid to distraught residents very difficult.
On Sunday, Haitian officials released an updated tally of deaths and missing persons a week out of the initial disaster. So far, over 2,200 people are dead and almost 350 people have still not been located.
Though Cherizier’s declaration could be seen as a benevolent move, some may question his motives.
After the death of Haiti’s president Jovenel Moïse, Cherizier had the support of thousands of Haitians and even told them to wait for his order before seeking revenge for the assassination.
For a man that the government blames for the uptick in violence and kidnapping, this truce could be seen as another power play in case new leadership moves to extinguish his hold once and for all and he is held accountable for the massacres of civilians in many Haitian neighborhoods in which people were burned alive and fed to pigs.
To this day, Cherizier is a wanted man that has managed to move freely without fear of apprehension.
For now, Haitian citizens may be able to bask in the peace of knowing that this leader called off the forces that often terrorize them and they can more easily access disaster relief.
