Strike of Hauliers in Haiti Due to Fuel Crisis

Haitian hauliers are demanding a 40 percent reduction in fuel prices, or they will go on strike for three days. This was announced by transport unions in Port-au-Prince, after the government announced the latest reduction in fuel prices.

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The union leaders declared at a press conference that the reduction made by the government is insignificant, and encouraged Haitians to respect the strike, while emphasizing the negative effects that high fuel prices are having on the quality of life of the population. They also demanded effective measures from the government to control the street gangs that “sow terror in the country,” a situation that threatens to disrupt Haitian society.

The reduction of gasoline was slight, from 570 to 560 gourdes (from 4.14 dollars to 4.8 dollars), diesel from 670 to 620 (from 4.89 to 4.53 dollars) and kerosene from 665 to 615 (from 4.85 to 4.49 dollars).

A union representative, Méhu Changeux, President of the Association of Owners and Drivers of Haiti, announced that they will demand from the government compliance with the 1995 decree, which establishes a decrease in fuel prices if their values decrease in the international market.

For its part, the Association of Petroleum Distributors stated that if they really took into account the international price of fuel in the international market, gasoline prices would be higher.

Popular unrest over fuel prices began this September, when the government announced that prices would rise by more than 100 percent. At that time, there were strong protests that paralyzed most of the services in the country.

Gangs have also played a leading role in this crisis, stealing and smuggling fuel on the black market. A few weeks after the government’s announcement, armed groups blocked the distribution of oil, affecting key sectors such as the operation of hospitals in the midst of a cholera outbreak.

Crises due to the rise of fuels in Haiti have become common, at least once a year this pulse of force is implanted between population and government, seeking each party to impose its interests.

In 2022 protests were really violent. The demonstrators even attacked the headquarters of the Haitian Television (TNH), denouncing what they considered to be the communicative policy complicit with the official speech. On that occasion, a situation of peyi lok (blocked country) was reached. At the moment, the Haitian reality is very close to being blocked again.

We will see if the government takes note of experiences and manages to deal with this crisis in a better way, setting a precedent to take off in the face of so many other crises that have been overtaking its scarce capacity for governance all year long.