Overview:
Thousands of Haitians—Protestant worshippers and Vodou practitioners—marched peacefully through Port-au-Prince on Jan. 3 to call for peace and national unity. Led by some prominent pastors and Vodou leaders, the demonstration highlighted the urgency of collective action in 2026 as Haiti faces escalating gang violence, mass displacement, humanitarian hardship and political uncertainty.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Thousands of Protestant worshippers, Vodou practitioners and political activists from civil society groups—many dressed in white and draped in Haiti’s blue-and-red flag— marched through the capital on Saturday, Jan. 3, calling for peace and national unity in a country battered by gang violence, political paralysis and a widening humanitarian crisis.
Led by three Port-au-Prince-based pastors known collectively as the “3M” — André Muscadin of Shalom Church, Marcorel “Pastor Marco” Zidor of Piscine de Bethesda Church and Mackenson “Prophète Mackenson” Dorilas of Church of God Les Envoyés— the march began in Tabarre, passed through Delmas and Caradeux, and ended in Pétion-Ville. Along the eight-mile route, participants demanded security, freedom of movement and a political consensus centered on the public interest.
Marchers moved from about 10 a.m. to the rhythm of a sound truck and a Rara street band, singing religious hymns and chants for peace. Despite the long distance and hours on foot, the crowd pressed on, determined to make its message heard: Haiti cannot continue on its current path.
“In the name of God, who allows us to extend our hands to one another beyond our differences, we agree on one principle: to rebuild, lift up, and move Haiti forward,” Pastor Muscadin said upon reaching Pétion-Ville. “Our faiths may differ, but we are united in saying one thing — peace for Haiti and all its children.”
A march amid a deepening national emergency, crossing religious lines
The demonstration came as Haiti entered 2026 facing one of the gravest moments in its modern history. More than 1.4 million people are internally displaced, over 5 million need humanitarian assistance, and armed gangs continue to expand their control in areas such as Kenscoff, Arcahaie, Montrouis, lower Artibonite and Mirebalais. The Haitian National Police remains overstretched. At the same time, the deployment of mercenaries led by former U.S. Navy SEAL Erik Prince has not yet yielded results, and the promised United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force has not yet materialized.
Beyond insecurity, the country is grappling with institutional paralysis, economic collapse, crumbling public services and a crisis of trust between Haitians and political leaders. With the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) set to expire in February, uncertainty looms over the country’s political direction.
“In the name of God, who allows us to extend our hands beyond our differences, we agree on one principle: to rebuild, lift up, and move Haiti forward.”
André Muscadin, Senior pastor of Shalom Church
Against this backdrop, organizers said the peace march was meant not only as a symbolic gesture, but as a call for all sectors — religious, political, economic and civic — to commit to sustained groundwork in 2026 aimed at restoring stability and rebuilding the state.
What set the march apart was the visible participation of Haitian Vodou practitioners, led by Augustin St. Clou, widely known as the “Vodou king of Haiti.” Wearing multicolored handkerchiefs and carrying lit candles and kanari — traditional clay pots containing fresh water— they marched side by side with Protestant faithful, a rare public display of unity between groups often portrayed as adversaries or even enemies.
“Before being Protestants or Vodou practitioners, we are Haitians,” said a pastor who joined the march and identified himself only as “Pastor Forge.”
“Religion should not divide us when the country itself is in danger,” he said.“Religions were once used to separate us, but today we stand under God’s sky to proclaim peace with all Haitians and take our country into our own hands to develop it.”
A Vodou priestess echoed the sentiment, saying practitioners have long prayed for peace and welcomed the opportunity to stand publicly with Christian leaders. “This unity is meaningful. Haiti needs everyone,” she said.
The march proceeded peacefully, with no major incidents reported. Police units from the Departmental Unit for Maintaining Order monitored the route, and the final gathering took place at the crossroads near the old cemetery in Pétion-Ville.
Politics on the margins, unity at the center
Some political groups attempted to insert their messages into the march, using large speakers from sound trucks to call for the resignation of the CPT members and the government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. Organizers, however, emphasized that the demonstration was not aligned with any party or political agenda.
As the crowd dispersed, Vodou practitioners and church leaders alike expressed hope that the march would not remain a one-off event but would spark continued collaboration across faiths and sectors.
“If we stop here, nothing will change,” one participant said. “Peace requires work — dialogue, accountability and unity.”
The following are images from the religious-led march for peace in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026:
The pastors’ musical float accompanied thousands of Protestant faithful as they marched from Tabarre to Pétion-Ville on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, calling for peace and unity in Haiti, a country shaken by a multifaceted crisis. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Many women, both religious and non-religious, marched through the streets of Port-au-Prince alongside pastors known as the “3M” to call for peace in Haiti on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Faithfuls wearing shirts from Pastor Marco’s church and holding the national flag while singing and dancing during the march for peace in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
A protester wrapped in Haiti’s blue-and-red flag marched in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, to call for peace amid insecurity and political instability. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Augustin St. Clou, known as the Vodou King of Haiti, joins the peace march in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, alongside Vodou practitioners and Christian leaders who call for change. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
One of the Vodou priestesses accompanying the Haitian Vodou king along the route of the peace march in Haiti, held in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
The Raram Street Band accompanied Vodou practitioners along the route during the peace march in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, organized by Protestant pastors, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Police at the old cemetery crossroads in Pétion-Ville stand along the route of the peace march in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, organized by pastors supported by Vodou practitioners, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/The Haitian Times
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