The Episcopal Conference of Haiti Denounces the Massacre in the Locality of Préval in Artibonite

By Gesly Sinvilier On May 23, 2025, the Episcopal Conference of Haiti expressed, in a public statement, its solidarity with the population of the locality of Préval, victims of a massacre that cost the lives of dozens of peasants in the said locality in the Artibonite department. Indeed, on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 20, 2025, an armed self-defense group from the region, named La Coalition, massacred more than twenty people, including peasants from Préval, a locality in the first communal section of Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite. On this occasion, the Episcopal Conference renews its call for peace and national reconciliation. "Faced with the systematic violence ravaging our country, we have urged collective awareness, emphasizing that 'the extent of the evil afflicting us compels us to a deep examination of conscience' and recalling that the existence of 'those who destroy lives and kill the dreams of so many families is also the reflection of a sick society, undermined by injustice, corruption, and misery,'" the statement reads. The Conference also expresses the wish that "the perpetrators of all massacres committed in the country, as well as their accomplices, be brought to justice and held accountable for their actions." It also calls on state authorities regarding their silence and their sovereign responsibility for the protection of citizens and the restoration of public order.