Miami (April 8, 2025) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed deep concern today over the safety of two journalists missing in Haiti. The continental entity urged the provisional authorities to intervene urgently to ensure their release and restore order, amid the advancing armed control by gangs.
According to the local organization SOS Journalistes, criminal groups occupying the city of Mirebalais since late March, in the Plateau Central department, have journalist Roger Claudy Israel - former correspondent for Radio Ginen and owner of RC FM Radio - and his brother Marco Israel as hostages. The captors released a video with threats of execution, heightening alarm about their physical integrity.
In another incident in the same area, Christophe Collegue, former correspondent in Haiti for Voice of America, remains missing. Furthermore, his son Anderson Collegue, current correspondent for Radio Caraïbes, had his house burned down in what appears to be a direct attack against his family.
Last week, armed gangs attacked the city of Mirebalais, released over 500 prisoners, forced the displacement of thousands of residents, and committed acts of kidnapping and murder to spread terror in the region.
"We understand that Haiti is in a critical situation, but this does not justify inaction," stated IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz, CEO and General Director of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador. "We demand that Haitian authorities do everything in their power to locate and safely rescue the kidnapped journalists."
Meanwhile, IAPA's Second Vice President and President of the Committee on Freedom of Press and Information, Carlos Jornet, warned about the lack of minimal guarantees for journalism in Haiti. "As long as criminal groups continue to act with impunity, the press will remain a target," noted Jornet, editor of La Voz del Interior in Argentina. "Our unconditional support is with the journalists of Haiti who, amidst chaos and lack of protection, continue to risk their lives to tell the truth."
Haiti has been grappling with a multidimensional crisis for decades, marked by gang territorial control, institutional paralysis, and a severe humanitarian situation. According to the United Nations, the country is facing 'an unprecedented human rights crisis, with alarming levels of violence, corruption, and social and economic instability'."
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
