A tailor inspects a costume which is prepared for the upcoming 2020 National Carnival Parade in Port-au-Prince, Haiti February 10, 2020. — AFP pic
“How can anyone think about going to Carnival and dancing without being able to get home safely, with the risk that you could be killed, kidnapped or shot at?” said one official who asked not to be named. In the face of the crime wave, police in Port-au-Prince protested Monday, demanding better working conditions and the right to unionise.“An officer just starting out makes 19,000 gourdes a month,” or about US$180 , said one cop taking part in a fresh protest on Wednesday.
Like most everyone in Port-au-Prince, Pierre Kerense is stressed out by the tense atmosphere in the city caused by the seemingly endless violence and crime. “In the days leading up to Carnival, we work flat out, with lots of extra people — I can sometimes have 40 people working by day and others who come to take the night shift,” says Laguerre, who has worked on costumes for the festival for 20 years.In February last year, at least seven people were killed in violent incidents as protesters demanded the resignation of President Jovenel Moise and an improvement in their standard of living.
Surrounded by piles of half-made costumes, Laguerre prefers not to do the math on how much she has laid out this year.