Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier - Haiti Gang Leader | Full Interview

Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier is one of Haiti’s most powerful and ruthless gang leaders. In 2024 when I spoke to him deep inside his group’s stronghold in Haiti’s capital, he outlined his role in the country's future, as it spiraled into chaos. Formerly a police officer, Cherizier faces international sanctions for alleged human rights abuses, with his G9 armed group implicated in civilian massacres.

Cherizier claims to be a peace-maker among gangs, a patriot who has the country’s best interests at heart, and warns that any international peacekeeping force must heed his vision for Haiti's future if it wants to avoid conflict with him and other gangs.

This interview is part of a long-term photographic project titled Let Us Be The Only Masters of The Soil, documenting the impact of violence on Haiti, which was first exhibited in London in 2024.