The locality of Laboderie, situated between the communes of Cabaret and Arcahaie, dozens of kilometers north of Port-au-Prince, was the scene on Thursday, September 11, 2025, of an exceptionally brutal attack carried out by heavily armed men. According to multiple local sources, at least 40 people were killed in what witnesses describe as a massacre of defenseless civilians.
Eyewitness accounts indicate the assailants, believed to be linked to criminal groups operating in neighboring Cabaret, struck late in the day, targeting indiscriminately. Women, children, and elderly residents were among the victims. Some were shot, while others were summarily executed with bladed weapons in horrific conditions.
The attack is believed to have been carried out in retaliation for recent losses suffered by gangs in clashes with local forces—police units and civilian self-defense brigades—in Arcahaie, where tensions have flared in recent days.
A New Massacre Amid Escalating Violence
The killings, which left more than 40 dead and several others injured, come amid a relentless escalation of violence and what residents denounce as the glaring inaction of the authorities.
In a statement issued Friday, the rights organization Collectif Défenseur Plus condemned what it described as “barbaric executions committed indiscriminately,” urging the transitional government to assume its responsibilities by taking immediate steps to suppress armed groups, strengthen the operational capacity of the Haitian National Police and Armed Forces, and provide humanitarian and psychosocial support to affected communities.
The organization also called on the international community to move beyond rhetoric and provide tangible support to help Haiti address its deepening security crisis.
Official Narrative at Odds With Reality
The massacre occurred as the Haitian government announced, with much fanfare, the launch of a large-scale operation aimed at reclaiming downtown Port-au-Prince, which remains entirely under gang control.
“The state is working with members of the population to regain control of downtown Port-au-Prince. Little by little, life is returning in the country, particularly in the capital,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a three-minute video released Thursday evening on social media.
Authorities stated that the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces are conducting large-scale, continuous operations in the city center to retake areas held by criminal gangs.
According to the Primature, nearly 1,000 cubic meters of waste and more than 200 vehicles abandoned or burned by gangs have already been cleared by the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC), which has mobilized heavy equipment to repair damaged roads and restore circulation.
The stark contrast between the government’s official declarations and the realities on the ground underscores the scale of Haiti’s security crisis. While officials highlight efforts to restore order in the capital, massacres like that in Laboderie reveal the urgent need for an effective state response—not only in Port-au-Prince but also in surrounding regions—to end impunity and reestablish even a minimum level of public safety.
