Overview:
The Haitian authorities held a solemn ceremony at Villa d’Accueil, miles away from the Nationwide Palace, to mark the 219th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ assassination. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), praised Dessalines’ enduring legacy and renewed requires unity, sovereignty and justice. In the meantime, Champ-de-Mars—the symbolic coronary heart of the capital—stood in disrepair, reflecting the distinction between official rhetoric and the cruel actuality of a nation in freefall.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) and authorities officers marked the 219th anniversary of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ assassination with a solemn ceremony on the Villa d’Accueil in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Oct. 17.
The occasion, attended by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the CPT, and a number of other cupboard members, honored Dessalines’ enduring contribution to freedom, independence and nationwide id.
“Father Dessalines and all our ancestors made great sacrifices so we may reside free, in peace and dignity on this land,” stated Saint-Cyr. “However immediately, new enemies have emerged—lawless teams sowing terror in our neighborhoods. Like Dessalines, we should present braveness and unity to reclaim our sovereignty.”
Fils-Aimé echoed that message, calling for renewed nationwide goal.
“We bow earlier than the greatness of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines,” he stated. “His spirit, imaginative and prescient and supreme sacrifice should proceed to information Haiti towards justice, dignity, and prosperity.”
Dessalines, a central determine in Haiti’s 1804 independence, led enslaved Africans to defeat Napoleon’s military, making Haiti the primary free Black republic on this planet. His assassination on Oct. 17, 1806, close to Pont-Rouge in Port-au-Prince, got here after inner energy struggles, marking the younger nation’s first main political fracture—a division that continues to hang-out Haitian politics greater than two centuries later.
Commemorations of Dessalines’ loss of life have lengthy symbolized Haitian delight and resistance to oppression. Nevertheless, lately, the day has turn out to be more and more subdued, reflecting the nation’s ongoing crises—political instability, gang violence and the erosion of state establishments.
Official tributes amid public neglect
Whereas the federal government’s formal occasion passed off behind closed gates, no public ceremonies, parades or civic gatherings occurred within the streets of the capital. Champ-de-Mars, dwelling to the statues of Dessalines, Pétion and Christophe, amongst different heroes of independence, was practically abandoned—its monuments surrounded by overgrown weeds, litter and fading paint.
: “Father Dessalines and all our ancestors made great sacrifices so we may reside free, in peace and dignity on this land.”
Laurent Saint-Cyr, President of the Transitional Presidential Council
A restricted cleanup operation had been performed the day earlier than, clearing the speedy space round Dessalines’ statue however leaving a lot of the sq. in disrepair. The neglect stood as a stark distinction to the speeches celebrating nationwide delight.Movies taken by The Haitian Occasions present unsanitary situations and deteriorating memorials—a visible metaphor, observers say, for Haiti’s fractured governance and waning civic life.
“Champ-de-Mars was a spot the place faculties marched and other people gathered to have a good time nationwide delight,” stated one bystander, trying on the worn statue. “Now, everybody stays dwelling due to worry.”
Cultural and political significance in 2025 amid a divided reminiscence of unity
This yr’s commemoration comes as Haiti faces certainly one of its deepest crises because the fall of Duvalier’s dictatorship. With the capital largely managed by armed teams, many voters see the state’s tribute to Dessalines as symbolic however disconnected from actuality.
For historians, Dessalines’ beliefs of equality and sovereignty resonate powerfully amid immediately’s challenges. “Dessalines envisioned a Haiti the place no international energy or elite curiosity would dominate the folks,” stated historian Michelet Guerrier. “Honoring him whereas residents reside underneath siege requires introspection—not simply ceremony.”
Throughout social media, Haitians paid tribute to the “Father of the Nation” with posts recalling his revolutionary spirit. Others criticized what they known as authorities hypocrisy, pointing to rising inequality, insecurity and corruption.
The silence that blanketed Port-au-Prince on Oct. 17 spoke volumes. As soon as marked by parades and schoolchildren reciting poems, Dessalines Day has turn out to be a muted affair. The disconnect between official homage and public disengagement underscores a broader wrestle: find out how to uphold nationwide delight in a state fragmented by worry and political uncertainty.
Because the statue of Dessalines stood shrouded in mud at Champ-de-Mars, its lacking ceramic tiles and frayed flags symbolized not solely years of neglect, however the unfinished work of the revolution he started 219 years in the past.
Listed below are some photos exhibiting the present state of Champ-de-Mars, the place the statues of the independence heroes are positioned:
