Haiti Marriott Set To Close As Gangs Continue Gaining Ground

Haiti’s last U.S.-branded hotel announced it will close its doors, further illustrating the deepening crisis of the Caribbean country, besieged by criminal gangs.

Concretely, the 175-room Marriott in Port-au-Prince, built to create jobs and attract tourism to Haiti, said it will close about a decade after being inaugurated. The 11-story building was also a symbol of reconstruction after the devastating earthquake that impacted the country in 2010, killing over 300,000 people and affecting a million and a half.

“We can confirm that the Marriot Port-au-Prince Hotel will suspend operations under the Marriott brand flag as of April 30th,” said Diego Thomas, the hotel chain’s senior managed for Caribbean and Latin America in a statement published by the Miami Herald. “The owner company and Marriott International continue to discuss next steps,” he added.

Marriott’s decision is far from an isolated one. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines announced last week it will stop operating a private destination off the coast of northern Haiti after the transitional government declared a country-wide state of emergency over gangs’ ongoing attacks.

Criminal organizations killed soldiers and armed civilians last week as they keep gaining ground and Port-au-Prince teeters on the brink of collapse. Lionel Lazarre, spokesman for the Haitian National Police, told a local outlet that at least four soldiers and four armed civilians have died so far in the latest offensive.

The Associated Press cited social media videos showing gunmen mutilating dead bodies and picking up severed heads, claiming “we got the dogs.”

The development comes as the situation in the country shows no signs of improving any time soon. Maria Isabel Salvador, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ special representative in Haiti, recently told the Security Council that the situation on the ground is increasingly critical as gangs move onto the few areas in Port-au-Prince that are not under their control.

However, the country’s situation could become even more dire in the near future, as the Trump administration signaled willingness to cut aid.

“America cannot continue shouldering such a significant burden,” said Dorothy Camille Shea, interim chargé d’affaires at the U.S. mission at the UN, requesting that other countries increase their support for the Caribbean country.

At the same time, the Trump administration is set to declare members of Haitian gangs and people financing them “terrorists,” a move that could pave the way for sanctions and tougher measures against the criminal groups

The outlet detailed that the State Department is working on the measure, which would either equate Haitian gangs to Tren de Aragua and several other Mexican cartels, recently declared foreign terrorist organizations, or a less severe category: “specially designated global terrorist.” Those targeted are members of the Viv Ansanm goalition and Gran Grif.