FORT MYERS, Fla. — With thousands of random killings in Haiti, Haitian-born Southwest Florida residents are calling on the American Government to step in and help.
Fort Myers was one of many cities across America marching for "Relief for Haiti". Crowds from the U.S., Canada, and France came together in hopes of bringing awareness to the issues facing the Caribbean country.
Two local Haitians spoke with Fox 4's Briana Brownlee to explain the magnitude of the crisis.
“This is the first time I can say as a Haitian that I feel hopeless,” said Claude Villers, a Florida Gulf Coast University professor and native Haitian. "When I was in Haiti we never had any of these issues of people killing people."
Villers reflected on the violence that has taken over his home country in recent months.
According to data from United Nations, nearly 850 people were killed at random within the first three months of 2023. In April alone, more than 600 were killed.
Betrice Jacquet-Castor is President of the Fort Myers Haitian Coalition. She called the situation in her country depressing.
“Guns are so accessible to young kids in poverty," Castor said. "Young kids that might not have something to eat, but they are being offered with 'Hey, I want you to go do this crime, I want you to kill this person for a plate of food.'”
“When you don’t have government that can regulate, a lot of these things can get out of control very easily," said Villers. "I think a lot of these weapons are coming in outside because we don’t make anything like this in Haiti.”
With murders, sexual violence and poverty ravishing the country, Castor said Haitian people have had enough and feel it's time for the U.S. government to get involved.
“We are one of the cities that have over 20 to 40 thousand Haitians that reside in southwest Florida," Castor said. "About 30 thousand are registered voters that can make an impact.”
An impact, she said, that would be shown during election time. Tomorrow's march is just the first step.
“I don’t think the country is organized enough for it to serve the big problem there is,” Villers said.
“The relief needs to happen with the unity, in the community and the U.S.,” said Castor.
Jacquet-Castor said the march is only the first step, to showcase to America what is happening in her homeland.
