2026-02-20

Haiti's gang networks have evolved from localized criminal enterprises into territorial governance structures over the past decade, with acceleration following the July 2021 presidential assassination. Child recruitment and trafficking by armed groups in fragile states follows a documented pattern in West Africa and Central America in which economic collapse and state absence create conditions for systematic exploitation. The Gonave Island incident is consistent with ACLED-documented trends showing kidnapping operations expanding into secondary population centers as primary urban corridors face increased MSS presence.