By Erica Laster                                                                                                                              Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Uncontrollable lynch mobs have contributed to the murder of at least 45 citizens of Haiti since the beginning of the cholera epidemic.  Ministry official Moise Fritz Evens confirmed that “The victims…were stoned or hacked with machetes before being burned in the streets.”   Many of the bodies were found burned, using gasoline and other accelerants or hacked to pieces using machetes.

Some Haitians believe that voodoo priests are responsible for bringing cholera to the country, a severe blow considering many are still recovering from the earthquake in January.  “People who practice voodoo have nothing to do with the cholera epidemic,” stated Max Beauvoir, head of one of the voodoo organizations in Haiti.   He believes that the police should be doing more to stop the murder of innocent priests.  Beauvoir and other heads have appealed to authorities in an attempt to assist priests and other victims of the lynch mobs.  

Haiti’s minister of communication appealed to the community to end the lynchings, calling for a campaign to disseminate information to citizens to better understand the origin and spread of cholera.    

Cholera causes diarrhea and vomiting in victims.  The disease can easily be treated with rehydration and antibiotics, but the sanitary conditions and lack of medical supplies has dealt a blow to Haiti’s population.  Almost 2,500 have been killed since October.

‘We have had cases every day since last week. People really believe that witches are taking advantage of the cholera epidemic to kill,” indicates Haitian prosecutor Kesner Numa.  Numa said the mobs had accused the victims of spreading cholera to regions previously unaffected by the disease.  40 of the victims were found in a region called Grand Anse in southwest Haiti and none have been arrested in connection with their deaths. 

For more Information please visit:

BBC News – Haiti Mobs Lynch Voodo Priests Over Cholera F–  24 December 2010

Daily Mail – Haiti Lynch Mobs Murder 40 Accused of Spreading Cholera With Sorcery – 23 December 2010

CNN – Officials: 45 People Lynched in Haiti Amid Cholera Fears – 24 December 2010