Haiti Dances a Thousand-Beat Waltz of Police Chiefs to the Same Refrain

By Jean Venel Casséus For over a decade, the Haitian National Police has been engaged in a macabre waltz where partners change, but to the same music. Chiefs succeed one another, the refrain remains: insecurity gains ground, citizens lose hope. Godson Orélus (2012-2016) was revoked for incompetence, replaced by the “competent” Michel-Ange Gédéon. He himself was revoked for incompetence, replaced by the “competent” Rameau Normil. He himself was revoked for incompetence, replaced by the “competent” Léon Charles. He himself was revoked for incompetence and other suspicions, replaced by the “competent” Frantz Elbé. He himself was revoked for incompetence, replaced by a former “incompetent” who became “competent” again: Rameau Normil. He himself was once again revoked for incompetence, and now today we have a brand new “competent” Vladimir Paraison at the head of the PNH. Here, incompetence is not a lack of grey matter; it is the inability to properly fulfill a mission for which one has been invested. From Orélus to Normil, second version, the tempo of insecurity has only accelerated, making a large part of the country unlivable for peaceful citizens. Between complicity and incompetence, I choose: incompetence. Vladimir Paraison, the new “competent” one, earned his stripes on the battlefield. A good fighter. A high-caliber operational asset. He even reportedly saved the First Lady, Martine Moïse, from a hail of bullets on July 7, 2021. lol. Honor to him. A great warrior, but perhaps that is already his biggest handicap: today, the PNH does not have a problem with warriors, but with management. The flaws are embedded in the structure. Dozens of general inspectors and divisional commissioners vie for the director's chair, many without a clear mission, sometimes sidelined. This internal struggle for influence paralyzes the institution. Gangs, meanwhile, are thriving. Their proliferation is an economic, social, political, and geopolitical problem. Believing that a police response alone is sufficient is an illusion. In a coherent national strategy, the police should be the last link in the chain. Before it, there must be an effective judicial system, inclusive economic policies, a reformed administration, and coordination integrating intelligence, diplomacy, and social actions. Without this strategy, police officers will continue to be sent to the front lines like throwing buckets of water on a giant blaze. Changing the chief will not change the music. As long as the state continues to play its discordant tune—that is, clientelism, improvisation, and lack of vision—the refrain will remain the same. Haiti does not need another warrior at the head of the PNH; it needs a strategic state. As long as this waltz continues, the dance floor will remain bloody, and the dancers, whoever they may be, will eventually fall. If the music doesn't change, I therefore await the next “competent” person who will replace the “incompetent” Paraison in a few months. Pennsylvania, August 12, 2025.