Journalists Markenzy Nathoux from Boston Caribbean Network and radio Lavi FM, and Jimmy Jean from Moun Afè Bon TV were killed in the attack.
This statement was originally published on en.sipiapa.org on 26 December 2024.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemned the murder of two Haitian journalists, which occurred Tuesday morning in an armed attack during the reopening of the main public hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, according to news reports.
In the attack, attributed to armed gangs from the Vivre Ensemble (Living Together) coalition, journalists Markenzy Nathoux from Boston Caribbean Network and radio Lavi FM, and Jimmy Jean from Moun Afè Bon TV were killed, the reports said.
A police officer was also killed, and seven other journalists were injured when the gang members fired upon the State University of Haiti Hospital, also known as the General Hospital, located in an area of high insecurity dominated by gangs, according to the press. The injured individuals were treated at another medical facility.
According to the Associated Press, the hospital had been closed for several months due to gang violence and was scheduled to reopen on Christmas Eve, as promised by authorities. However, while journalists were gathering to cover the reopening, suspected gang members opened fire, disrupting the event.
“Our sincere condolences and solidarity with the families and colleagues of the murdered journalists, in a country where the press carries out its work in total vulnerability and without minimum safety guarantees,” said IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz, CEO and general director of La Prensa Gráfica, in El Salvador.
Carlos Jornet, IAPA’s Second Vice-President and president of the entity’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, stated, “The violence of criminal groups, political instability, and widespread insecurity continue to impact all aspects of life in the country. It is necessary for authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and prosecute them to the full extent of the law,” added the editorial director of the Argentine newspaper La Voz del Interior.
The gangsters published a video on social media in which they claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that they had not authorized the reopening of the hospital, a report said.
Haiti’s interim president, Leslie Voltaire, expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and said in a speech to the nation that the attack would not go unpunished.
According to IAPA reports, criminal groups, which pose a constant threat to the press, operate with total impunity in the face of a dysfunctional justice system. On March 25, sports journalist Nerval Pierre Viliat died from injuries sustained after being hit by a stray bullet during a shootout between police and gang members in the Delmas 19 neighborhood in the capital.
In 2023, three journalists were murdered: Paul Jean Marie, Ricot Jean, and Dumesky Kersaint. In 2022, the deadliest year for the press, nine were killed: Francklin Tamar, Fritz Dorilas, Romelo Vilsaint, Wilguens Louissaint, Garry Tess, Frantzsen Charles, Tayson Lartigue, Maxihen Lazarre, and Amady John Wesley.
