Two journalists were killed and seven others were injured in a deadly gang attack in Haiti earlier this week, underscoring the dangers journalists face in a country that has been plagued by gang violence for years.
Earlier, at least two journalists – including one working with Voice of America – were shot by armed men as they gathered to mark the reopening of the largest public hospital in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. – was also killed and at least seven other journalists were injured. weeks, according to media reports and the Haitian government.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, said it was “appalled” by the attack.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and call on Haitian authorities to quickly bring these murderers to justice,” a CPJ spokesperson said in a statement this week.
Among those killed in the Christmas Eve attack was Marcendy Natoux, who worked in marketing for VOA’s Creole service.
Natoux worked for VOA’s flagship organization, the US Agency for Global Media, but also reported for a variety of local outlets, including Heritage Express News and the Boston Caribbean Network.
According to the journalist’s USAGM colleague, Iscar Blanco, Natoux began working for USAGM in 2022 and was dedicated to publicizing the work of VOA Creole.
“He always put a smile on everyone’s face and offered help to anyone who needed it,” Blanco told VOA.
Nattoux is remembered as a man who was always eager to help his colleagues and community members. Blanco recalled that whenever journalists needed microphones, cables or anything else, Nattoux was always ready to help. And on weekends, according to Blanco, Natoux would often volunteer to help the local community.
“I’m sure he will be remembered forever for his dedication to his work, but beyond work, his love as a father, husband and friend,” Blanco said.
Nattoux is survived by his wife and two children.
Jimmy Jean, a reporter for online TV outlet Moune Afe Bon, was also killed in the attack on Tuesday morning, underscoring the grave dangers facing journalists working in the Caribbean nation.
Seven other journalists covering the event were injured. A police officer was killed and another police officer was injured in the shooting at the State University of Haiti Hospital, known locally as the General Hospital.
A local gang leader named Johnson “Izzo” Andre of the Viv Ansanam, or Living Together, gang coalition posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack.
Members of the Viv Ansanam coalition of street gangs, which has taken over much of the Haitian capital, surrounded the hospital and fired through a metal gate. The gangs later said they were angry that the government had announced the reopening of the hospital without their permission.
The Haitian Association of Journalists said the attack was “a horrific scene tantamount to terrorism, pure and simple.” The association also called on “the authorities to act judiciously in their haste to take decisions, to avoid putting journalists and others accompanying them to their events at risk.”
In a statement posted on social media, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “This heinous act, which targets an institution dedicated to health and life, is an unacceptable attack on the foundations of our society.”
In a video statement, Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, said the shooting was “unacceptable”, adding, “This act will not go without consequences.”
Voltaire also said, “I express my condolences to the victims, the national police and the journalists.”
President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home in 2021 by a group of foreign mercenaries in a plot that officials say included elite Haitian police officers, sparking serious gang violence and Shaken by political instability.
According to the United Nations, more than 5,300 people are expected to die from gang-related violence in Haiti in 2024. And more than 2,100 people have been injured in gang-related violence.
Also in 2024, CPJ ranked Haiti worst in the world for impunity in journalist killings. The press freedom group has documented seven targeted killings of journalists in the Caribbean nation over the past decade. To date, none of those murders have been solved.
“The increase in violence has increased the dangers for journalists,” CPJ CEO Jody Ginsberg told VOA in October. “Haiti topping this year’s impunity index is actually a reflection of increased violence.”
Haiti ranks 93rd out of 180 countries on the Global Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best media freedom environment.
Some information in this report has come from the Associated Press.