Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, leader of Haiti's powerful gang coalition Viv Ansanm, announced plans to transform the group into a political party. The move has intensified debates about whether gangs should play a role in solving the country's political and humanitarian crises.
The coalition's name appeared in a document sent to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) last week, signed by several Haitian politicians proposing changes to the embattled Transitional Presidential Council. The council, tasked with leading Haiti to elections, has faced corruption allegations and public calls for its reconfiguration. The document suggests reducing the council to three members and mentions Viv Ansanm's support for this idea, even though the gang didn't sign the April 2023 political Accord, as reported by the Miami Herald.
