On the night of Tuesday, March 12th to Wednesday, March 13th, 2025, heavily armed individuals set fire to the offices of Radio Télévision Caraïbes (RTVC) in ruelle Chavannes, which they had been threatening for almost a year. More than just a building, it was a heritage site where RTVC had established itself in 1949. It should be remembered that RTVC had been forced to leave this building after 76 years of occupation due to insecurity and relocate to Pétion-ville.

Reacting strongly to this terrorist act, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé declared, "Radio Télévision Caraïbes (RTVC), a pillar of news and information in Haiti, is being hit by violence from armed gangs. The arson attack by these criminals is a despicable act, a serious attack on freedom of expression, acquired at the cost of great sacrifice. I express my deep solidarity with the entire RTVC team and its journalists affected by this tragic event."

For its part, the Haitian National Media Association (ANMH) expressed its "stunned" statement in a statement by the news of the fire at the Radio Télé Caraïbes offices on Chavannes Street.

"[...] the ANMH unreservedly condemns this heinous act, which confirms the ongoing chaos caused by the bandits.

[...] The media, which serve the population in a dynamic that guarantees freedom of expression and access to the right to speak for all, must benefit from the protection of public authorities, who have a duty to guarantee the continuity of this fundamental gain, an essential democratic achievement of the democratic transition.

The ANMH expresses its solidarity with the management of Radio Télé Caraïbes and reiterates its dismay at this despicable act [...]"

Patrick Pélissier, Minister of Justice, strongly condemns the fire at the offices of Radio Télévision Caraïbes and the looting of Radio Mélodie FM.

"These unacceptable acts constitute an attack on press freedom and the rule of law. Freedom of the press is a sacred and inalienable achievement. No criminal group can intimidate or silence those who inform the nation. The Minister calls on citizens to increase their vigilance and actively collaborate with law enforcement to identify and neutralize these enemies of the Republic.

Member Jean Wilner Morin, the Ombudsman, "strongly condemns the fire at the building housing Radio Télévision Caraïbes and calls on the authorities to restore public order in the country.

"This is a direct attack on freedom of the press and expression, orchestrated by terrorists who have been sowing chaos for too long [...]

The OPC extends its sympathies to the managers and staff of RTVC who, for the past year, have been forced to abandon the building on Ruelle Chavannes due to insecurity [...]"

Attacks on the media, the guarantors of democracy, must never be tolerated, and the right to live in complete security is guaranteed by the constitution and international conventions ratified by Haiti. The authorities have the duty and the obligation to guarantee the enjoyment of this right to all.

SL/ TB/ HaitiLibre