Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the West Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIO) in an open letter, sent to the Presidential Transitional Council and the Government, raises its voice and reframes them in the face of the unacceptable.

Open letter from the CCIO :

"Today more than ever, "You are required to do the impossible". The Nation can no longer wait and can no longer stand it. There is a limit to this legendary resilience in the face of the unacceptable.

The West Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIO) once again expresses its concern about the disastrous situation in which the country is sinking and wishes to present its most sincere sympathies to all the victims of insecurity, to the population who are suffering, who are being displaced and who have almost no longer have access to hospital care. We salute and recognize the efforts made by each of the FAd'H police officers and soldiers on the ground who risk their lives every day with the limited resources available.

We cannot accept the unacceptable. These serious and disturbing tragedies that have cost the lives of thousands of innocent people are beyond comprehension. In addition to the massacres at Wharf Jérémie, Solino, Poste Marchand, Bel-Air, to name but a few, there are all the massacres perpetrated in the country, including that of Pont Sondé in Artibonite and the massacre at Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, which demonstrate unspeakable and unbearable violence. These acts cannot be described as massacres, but as terrorist acts given their gratuitous violence. We are tired of sounding the alarm to try to prevent this humanitarian crisis without it being considered a priority.

While nearly half of the Haitian population suffers from acute food insecurity, violence continues to disrupt daily life and economic activities. How can we even talk about economic recovery when insecurity makes it impossible for us to function and maintain the jobs that still exist ?

Today, there is no need to recall the essential actions incumbent on the Government, such as the establishment of social programs and support measures necessary to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable. A responsible State must collect the essential resources, in particular by addressing the problem of smuggling and particularly at the border, to ensure the proper functioning of the Haitian Police and Army and to adequately equip and remunerate these bodies to combat insecurity and come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in distress.

It is now imperative that the State take urgent and decisive measures. The time for speeches and hesitations is over : inaction and ignorance regarding the concerns of the population are no longer tolerable. We demand from the authorities an unwavering mobilization to establish security, restore the authority of the State and rebuild the conditions for sustainable economic growth and a better future for all Haitians."

The Board of Directors

Port-au-Prince, December 18, 2024.

HL/ HaitiLibre