Joe Vilas

This dude's name is "Barbecue." 😆 OK, it's really Jimmy Chérizier, but he goes by "Babekyou in Haitian Creole — or Barbecue," according to this article. He used to be a cop. Now he's a "gang leader."

I'm trying to remember a time -- since I was a kid, at least -- when Haiti wasn't a mess. I don't think I can. :) 🇭🇹
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/13/1250860448/haitis-notorious-gang-leader-barbecue-says-his-forces-are-ready-for-a-long-fight
#news #Haiti #gangs #Caribbean #currentAffairs #JimmyChérizier

May 13, 2024 at 6:44pmWeb
Show threadMichael BaconMay 13, 2024

@jhv There's very few places in the world where you can answer the question of, "why is this place a mess?" as conclusively as Haiti, and the answer is "because we (the US and France) made it that way."

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/05/1042518732/-the-greatest-heist-in-history-how-haiti-was-forced-to-pay-reparations-for-freed

Show threadJoe VilasMay 13, 2024
@MichaelTBacon I will *totally* believe that without even reading your linked article. ;)
Show threadMichael BaconMay 13, 2024
@jhv Short answer is, the Haitian slaves had the unmitigated gall to overthrow their slavelords (and kill a fair few in the process), so the US and France did everything we possibly could to impoverish them and ensure that nobody else got any ideas from them.
Show threadJoe VilasMay 13, 2024
@MichaelTBacon Can we at least throw a bad word or three in the direction of the Duvaliers? 😆
Show threadMichael BaconMay 13, 2024
@jhv Oh yeah, totally, but who helped prop him up?
Show threadJoe VilasMay 13, 2024
@MichaelTBacon Srsly.