Outlaw or revolutionary? Meet Haiti’s Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier

Days before Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation, a crowd of helmet-wearing reporters listened to a man in a bulletproof vest surrounded by heavily armed bodyguards. He spoke of his vision for Haiti’s future after Mr. Henry’s demise.

“We will start fighting the current system to have the country we want: a Haiti with jobs for all, safety, free education, without social discrimination, and where all people can achieve the social position they want in our society,” Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier told the press. 

His words might bring back memories of some Marxist revolutionaries of the past. But Mr. Chérizier is a former police officer who rose to prominence as the leader of  “G-9 Family and Allies,” the most powerful armed group in Haiti. According to UN reports, 80 percent of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is currently controlled by various rebel factions, including strategic assets such as schools, ports, and hospitals.

After those opening words, his message became more somber: “If Ariel Henry doesn’t stop, Haiti will suffer genocide. If the international community continues to support him, there will be a civil war that will end in genocide,” Mr. Chérizier said.

Mr. Henry did not last much longer. Less than a week later, with gangs seizing the capital’s airport, the prime minister was unable to set foot in his country and eventually resigned from Puerto Rico in a transition largely managed from outside Haiti.

After a series of international meetings in Jamaica, where members of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the U.S. all had their say, a multi-party presidential council was formed to act as the country’s interim leadership. But the question of when Haiti will finally have a new, clean electoral process remains unclear.

Before his resignation, the under-pressure Mr. Henry had promised to finally hold elections in 2025, but...