Nearly 200 Massacred in Haitian Capital Over Alleged Bad Voodoo Practices

In a shocking act of violence, nearly 200 people were massacred in the Haitian capital, with reports suggesting that the killings were linked to accusations of bad Voodoo practices. Authorities are investigating the horrific incident.

According to UN estimates, at least 184 people, predominantly elderly men and women, lost their lives in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince over the weekend.

The massacre is thought to have been coordinated by Monel Felix, also known as Mikano, a local gang leader who oversees the Wharf Jeremie port area. The killings were reportedly concentrated mainly in Cite Soleil, an impoverished and densely populated district of the city.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk reported that violence led by the leader of a powerful gang in Port-au-Prince, Haiti resulted in the deaths of at least 184 people this past weekend.

The massacre was seemingly triggered by a conflict between Mikano and local Voodoo practitioners, who practice a syncretic religion prevalent in Haiti and often linked with witchcraft and black magic. It is reported that the gang leader sought out a Voodoo priest following his son’s illness and subsequent death. Although the details of their encounter remain unclear, it resulted in Mikano’s outrage leading him to command the killings.

The Committee for Peace and Development, a local civil group, stated that he resolved to harshly punish all elderly individuals and voodoo practitioners who he imagined could cast a harmful spell on his son.

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“The gang’s operatives were tasked with locating victims in their residences and escorting them to the chief’s stronghold for execution,” it stated.

Local media reports indicate that the massacre victims were tortured and executed, with their mutilated bodies reportedly burned in the streets of the capital afterward. The UN has strongly condemned this atrocity, noting that it adds to a surge in Haitian gang violence, bringing this year’s victim count to 5,000.

The Caribbean nation has experienced many years of political turmoil and violence. The situation escalated dramatically in 2021 with the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise.

Haiti essentially fell under the control of a coalition of criminal gangs until a transitional council was formed earlier this year. This council has been charged with selecting a new president, prime minister, and cabinet with the aim of establishing an effective government to restore order.