The number of homicides in Haiti seem alarming to everyone and feed the opposition, which claims that the Government is unable to ensure the safety of its citizens and the organizations of human rights who sees in these figures, the opportunity to publish of notes more alarmist than each other. The travel warnings updated recently by the United States and Canada are only consolidate the citizen in this bad impression.
Everyone seems convinced that the number of homicides is too important in Haiti to think to develop the tourism and that the security situation is not guaranteed, preventing the development of business. However, apart from balance sheets reported throughout the year, it is important to relativize these figures to restore the truth.
Relativize not meaning “minimize”, because we agree like everyone, than an assassination is still a life lost too early.
Haiti is the worst country in the Caribbean in terms of homicides: FALSE
According to the latest study “GLOBAL STUDY ON HOMICIDE 2011” conducted like each year by “United Nations Office on Drug and Crime USA” (UNODC), we read that the homicide rate per 100,000 population in Haiti [common method of comparison used in the world for this kind of measure], rank Haiti in 5th position out of 22 countries, with the fewest homicides, in the area America-Caribbean.
Martinique 17 4.2 2008 National police Cuba 518 4.6 2008 PAHO Anguilla 1 6.8 2008 NSO Antigua and Barbuda 6 6.8 2010 National police Haiti 689 6.9 2010 UN-PKO Guadeloupe 32 7.0 2008 National police British Virgin Islands 2 8.6 2006 PAHO Turks and Caicos 3 8.9 2008 PAHO Barbados 31 11.3 2010 UN-CTS Grenada 12 11.5 2010 OAS Cayman Islands 6 11.7 2004 PAHO Montserrat 1 19.7 2008 PAHO Dominica 15 22.1 2010 OAS Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 24 22.0 2010 NGO Dominican Republic 2,472 24.9 2010 National police Puerto Rico 983 26.2 2010 National police Bahamas 96 28.0 2010 OAS Saint Kitts and Nevis 20 38.2 2010 National police Saint Lucia 44 25.2 2010 OAS Trinidad and Tobago 472 35.2 2010 National police United States Virgin Islands 43 39.2 2007 PAHO Jamaica 1,428 52.1 2010 UN-CTS
First number : Number of victims – Second : Rate per 100,000 inhabitants
The homicide rate in Haiti is an obstacle to tourism development: FALSE
The 4 countries of the Caribbean area, that have the highest rate of tourists are among those who have the greatest number of victims…
2010 ranking, of the 4 best tourist destinations :
First: Dominican Republic (4,124,543 tourists) 24.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (15th of 22) 3.6 times more than Haiti
Second: Jamaica (1,921,678 visitors) 52.1 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (22 out of 22) 7.5 times more than Haiti
Third: Puerto Rico (1,369,814 visitors) 26.2 homicides per 100,000 (16th of 22) 3.79 more than Haiti
Fourth: Bahamas (1,368,053 visitors) 28 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (17th of 22) 4.05 more than Haiti
The homicide rate in Haiti is an obstacle to business development: FALSE
The Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, businessman of experience, declared last week in La Romana (Dominican Republic), referring to the slowness to constitute a company in Haiti, the need to act quickly if not investors “can discourage and open a business here in Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Puerto Rico.” 3 examples of countries where the crime rate per 100,000 population, are significantly higher to Haiti.
It is therefore necessary, to take with caution the figures that are reported in the media, if they are not put in relation with other countries. So the U.S. travel warning for Haiti, should not make us forget that the crime rate in the USA (2010) was 5.0 per 100,000 population (UNODC Report 2011), or 1.9 less homicides per 100,000 population than Haiti (6.9 ).
Beyond these figures, personal safety must remain the priority for the Haitian government, because no figure of loss of life can not and should not be satisfactory, while keeping in mind that 100% security does not exist in the world. In summary, the situation in Haiti is less worse than what is said, although considerable work remains to be done in this area.
HL/ S/ TB/ HaitiLibre
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I believe this but I also believe unlike the other Caribbean nations that we have a bad habit of promoting our dirty-laundry. only our good side should be portrayed in the open voluntarily. Every dirty-laundry should be in the open as a glitch in our system that should be fixed immediately. whenever I portray Haiti to non-haitian it is always in good light and when something ugly comes up I butter it up and turn it around. If we all did the same Haiti might just look better to others as we continue to make the country better–hopefully. I herd Haitians tell people that in Haiti people eat dirt and walk around naked just so they can get money to pocket for themselves. This should be the rules, 1) if they’re not going to help Haiti then they should not know Haiti’s dirty business. 2) If they must know Haiti’s business then don’t put it in their minds in such a way that they will remember it forever! I heard Jamaicans flat out deny crimes in their country while I’m holding the article speaking of the crimes. They even deny their high illiteracy rate. They are smart because telling the world about those things does not help Jamaica. The same goes for the DR. Haitians must be smarter!!!