$5 million for “Barbecue”: Justice or just optics?
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The Trump administration’s sudden $5 million bounty on Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, Haiti’s most infamous gang leader, reads like a dramatic headline—but beneath the surface, it raises more questions than it answers.
Let’s be clear: Chérizier is no misunderstood rebel. He’s been linked to massacres, rapes, and the systematic terrorization of Port-au-Prince. His gang alliance, Viv Ansanm, controls over 90% of the capital, and his alleged laundering of U.S. funds through diaspora networks is both chilling and infuriating.
But why now?
This bounty arrives not just amid escalating violence in Haiti, but also as the U.S. gears up for midterm elections. It’s hard not to see this move as political theater—a chance to flex “tough on crime” credentials while distracting from domestic controversies. Especially when the same administration once made headlines for claiming Haitian communities were so desperate they were “eating their dogs and cats.” That grotesque caricature now meets a sudden burst of concern for Haitian lives? Convenient timing.
Trump’s bounty on “Barbecue” fits a familiar pattern: dramatic gestures that mask deeper neglect or manipulation. Historically, the U.S. has oscillated between ignoring Haiti’s struggles and intervening when it suits its own narrative—whether to suppress revolutionary ideas, secure strategic interests, or score political points.
This latest move may be framed as justice, but it echoes a long tradition of selective outrage. If the U.S. truly wants to support Haiti, it must go beyond bounties and border rhetoric—and reckon with the historical wounds it helped inflict. If this is truly about justice, then let it be consistent. Let it be rooted in respect, not opportunism. And let it come with real support for Haiti—not just headlines and handcuffs.
#HumanitarianAid #Justice #Haiti
