2026-02-23

Leogane municipal authorities banned all Rara festivities for 2026 citing security assessment, not a specific prior incident. Decision taken in coordination with Rara unions, indicating civil society and local government alignment on threat perception. Leogane's position on RN2 southwest of Port-au-Prince marks the ban as an indicator of insecurity geographic diffusion. Cancellation eliminates informal economic activity during a period of sustained household economic pressure. No confirmed armed group incident in Leogane triggered the ban; it reflects preemptive threat assessment. Stakeholders should flag this as a leading indicator for civil space compression beyond the primary metropolitan zone.