Overview:
The Haitian government held a solemn ceremony at Villa d’Accueil, miles away from the National Palace, to mark the 219th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ assassination. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), praised Dessalines’ enduring legacy and renewed calls for unity, sovereignty and justice. Meanwhile, Champ-de-Mars—the symbolic heart of the capital—stood in disrepair, reflecting the contrast between official rhetoric and the harsh reality of a nation in freefall.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) and government officials marked the 219th anniversary of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ assassination with a solemn ceremony at the Villa d’Accueil in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Oct. 17.
The event, attended by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Laurent Saint-Cyr, president of the CPT, and several cabinet members, honored Dessalines’ enduring contribution to freedom, independence and national identity.
“Father Dessalines and all our ancestors made tremendous sacrifices so we could live free, in peace and dignity on this land,” said Saint-Cyr. “But today, new enemies have emerged—lawless groups sowing terror in our neighborhoods. Like Dessalines, we must show courage and unity to reclaim our sovereignty.”
Fils-Aimé echoed that message, calling for renewed national purpose.
“We bow before the greatness of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines,” he said. “His spirit, vision and supreme sacrifice must continue to guide Haiti toward justice, dignity, and prosperity.”
Dessalines, a central figure in Haiti’s 1804 independence, led enslaved Africans to defeat Napoleon’s army, making Haiti the first free Black republic in the world. His assassination on Oct. 17, 1806, near Pont-Rouge in Port-au-Prince, came after internal power struggles, marking the young nation’s first major political fracture—a division that continues to haunt Haitian politics more than two centuries later.
Commemorations of Dessalines’ death have long symbolized Haitian pride and resistance to oppression. However, in recent years, the day has become increasingly subdued, reflecting the country’s ongoing crises—political instability, gang violence and the erosion of state institutions.
Official tributes amid public neglect
While the government’s formal event took place behind closed gates, no public ceremonies, parades or civic gatherings occurred in the streets of the capital. Champ-de-Mars, home to the statues of Dessalines, Pétion and Christophe, among other heroes of independence, was nearly deserted—its monuments surrounded by overgrown weeds, litter and fading paint.
: “Father Dessalines and all our ancestors made tremendous sacrifices so we could live free, in peace and dignity on this land.”
Laurent Saint-Cyr, President of the Transitional Presidential Council
A limited cleanup operation had been conducted the day before, clearing the immediate area around Dessalines’ statue but leaving much of the square in disrepair. The neglect stood as a stark contrast to the speeches celebrating national pride.Videos taken by The Haitian Times show unsanitary conditions and deteriorating memorials—a visual metaphor, observers say, for Haiti’s fractured governance and waning civic life.
“Champ-de-Mars used to be a place where schools marched and people gathered to celebrate national pride,” said one bystander, looking at the worn statue. “Now, everyone stays home because of fear.”
Cultural and political significance in 2025 amid a divided memory of unity
This year’s commemoration comes as Haiti faces one of its deepest crises since the fall of Duvalier’s dictatorship. With the capital largely controlled by armed groups, many citizens see the state’s tribute to Dessalines as symbolic but disconnected from reality.
For historians, Dessalines’ ideals of equality and sovereignty resonate powerfully amid today’s challenges. “Dessalines envisioned a Haiti where no foreign power or elite interest would dominate the people,” said historian Michelet Guerrier. “Honoring him while citizens live under siege calls for introspection—not just ceremony.”
Across social media, Haitians paid tribute to the “Father of the Nation” with posts recalling his revolutionary spirit. Others criticized what they called government hypocrisy, pointing to growing inequality, insecurity and corruption.
The silence that blanketed Port-au-Prince on Oct. 17 spoke volumes. Once marked by parades and schoolchildren reciting poems, Dessalines Day has become a muted affair. The disconnect between official homage and public disengagement underscores a broader struggle: how to uphold national pride in a state fragmented by fear and political uncertainty.
As the statue of Dessalines stood shrouded in dust at Champ-de-Mars, its missing ceramic tiles and frayed flags symbolized not only years of neglect, but the unfinished work of the revolution he began 219 years ago.
Here are some images showing the current state of Champ-de-Mars, where the statues of the independence heroes are located:
The bust of the father of the nation, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, at the ceremony commemorating the 219th anniversary of his death, held at Villa d’Accueil on Friday, October 17, 2025. Photo via Haiti’s Presidency.
Members of the transitional government, from right to left—including the police chief, the nine members of the Presidential Transitional Council, the Prime Minister, and several cabinet ministers—stand at the Villa d’Accueil during the ceremony commemorating the 219th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ death on Friday, October 17, 2025. Photo via Haiti’s Presidency.
Dancers led by singer Erol Josué in a performance at the Villa d’Accueil during the commemoration of the 219th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ death on Friday, October 17, 2025. Photo via Haiti’s Presidency.
The statue of the hero Henri Christophe, stained with gray streaks, losing its black color, and covered with writings, at Champ-de-Mars on the day of the commemoration of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ death, Friday, October 17, 2025. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/ The Haitian Times.
The statue of hero Alexandre Pétion, degraded and losing its black color, stained with gray streaks, with its public square overgrown with grass, on the day of Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ death commemoration at Champ-de-Mars, Friday, October 17, 2025. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/ The Haitian Times.
An activist honoring the memory of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines, taking the opportunity to thank him for granting Haiti independence on the 219th anniversary of his death, Friday, October 17, 2025, at Champ-de-Mars. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise/ The Haitian Times
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