Haiti's New Security Plan: Private Help or More Trouble?

Haiti is in big trouble. Gangs have taken over large parts of the country. The government is bringing in nearly 200 private security workers from different countries to help. This is a big deal because these workers are from a company run by Erik Prince, who used to run the controversial security firm Blackwater. The plan is for these workers to stay in Haiti for a year. They will help the Haitian police and a U. N. mission fight the gangs. The U. N. mission is small and doesn't have enough money to do its job well. The gangs in Haiti are very powerful. They even forced the closure of the main airport for almost three months last year. The gangs have also killed and injured many people. Over 1, 500 people were killed from April to June this year. Most of these killings happened during fights between the police and the gangs. The gangs have also forced more than 1. 3 million people to leave their homes. The private security workers will also advise the Haitian government on how to collect taxes and money after the violence stops. But some people are worried. They think bringing in private security workers might make things worse. They say it could make the situation more complicated and not help solve the problem. The U. S. government says it is not involved in this plan. It is not paying for the private security workers or overseeing them. The new police director in Haiti used to be in charge of security for the National Palace. He was also part of a special task force that used explosive drones. Some human rights activists have criticized the use of these drones. The gangs in Haiti are very organized. They have formed a big group called Viv Ansanm. This group is responsible for many attacks, including raids on prisons that freed over 4, 000 inmates. The U. S. has even labeled Viv Ansanm as a terrorist organization. Some experts say that while more help is needed to fight the gangs, there is a risk. They worry that the conflict could get worse if there aren't enough people to handle it. The gangs have threatened the new police director. They say they have a lot of power that they don't always show.