At the beginning of April 2020, thanks to the health emergency caused by Covid-19, the Municipal Authorities of Cap-Haitien have driven out of the Toussaint Louverture square, commonly called “Plas ri 3” small traders who had used it for more than thirty years for their commercial activities.
A few days later, the Cap-Haitien City Hall, through its communication service, announced the resumption of reconstruction work on the square and its inauguration was scheduled for August 2020, on the occasion of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the founding of the second city of the country.
This promise, strongly applauded by more than one, has also raised the anger of the occupants of the place, mostly merchants and traders of all kinds of second-hand clothes who use this space to earn their living daily.
The results of the clashes between the police and the opponents were one death, several injuries and arrests. The Cap-Haitien City Council took control of the space and closed it down. Models of the future construction were circulating on social networks, comments were pouring in, the Municipal Authorities said they were open to all proposals.
In order to calm the situation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the North initiated a dialogue between the dislodged traders and the Municipality. The Municipal Authorities remained firm on their decision, no question of letting the merchants occupy the square again. Nevertheless, they agree that a place must be found to relocate the merchants whose survival depends on their daily sales.
Mediations continued and in early May 2020, an agreement was reached between the antagonists. The former occupants of the place were allowed to display their products again on a period of 3 days per week for 5 weeks until the space that should welcome them permanently is ready.
In the meantime, as the days went by, the Municipal Authorities let down their guard, and the merchants took advantage of this to return to their former selling points. And since then, the market has continued to grow. Today, with its merger with the Clugny market, it is almost impossible to delimit it, the downtown area of Cap-Haitian has become a vast market that spreads over several kilometers around the streets 12 A-L to Barriere Bouteille, without forgetting the Pont Neuf market at the eastern entrance to the city.
This heritage, which bears the name of the First of the Blacks, precursor of independence, Toussaint Louverture, once transformed into an informal public market, has cost the lives of several citizens, either during attempts to relocate the market by the authorities, or because notorious criminals have used the anarchic installations of merchants to commit robberies, rapes or murder.
In August 2022, more than 2 years after the last attempts to relocate the merchants and the promises of reconstruction made by the Municipal Authorities; radio silence – which does not seem to surprise anyone! The reconstruction of the Toussaint Louverture square has simply been added to the long list of broken promises made by the Haitian authorities. The vast market and its poorly managed garbage heaps continue to gain ground.
Roodsam Jerome