Overview:
Young Haitian content creators are using social media to urge voters, particularly young people, not to support former President Michel Joseph Martelly and other former political leaders seeking office in the upcoming elections. They accuse the figures of contributing to Haiti’s political, economic and security crises. Supporters of the targeted candidates have pushed back, arguing that social media does not reflect voters’ choices across Haiti.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — As former President Michel Joseph Martelly and some other leaders seek to return to public office in Haiti’s upcoming elections, many content creators have taken to social media to reject them, accusing the figures of contributing to the country’s political, economic and security crises.
Viral videos and posts criticizing former presidents, ex-lawmakers and other public figures have spread across major platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and X. Many of the creators featured in the posts are young Haitians who argue that voters should not return political figures they hold responsible for the country’s current conditions. They said remaining silent about the country’s crises amounts to complicity.
One of the widely shared videos features a woman jumping and yelling in Creole, “Nou pap vote volè ankò,” meaning “we won’t vote for thieves anymore.” The video places images of Martelly and former President Jocelerme Privert side by side. The slogan from the video has become the rallying cry and the recurring message in the online criticism.
One of the most vocal creators is Abana Louis, who has 65,000 followers on Facebook alone. In several videos, he argues that Haitians should not support Martelly or other former leaders he describes as “thieves.”
“No one has the right to tell anyone who they should vote for, but everyone can tell you not to vote for Martelly, period,” Louis says in a video.
“I have about 100,000 people following me on Facebook and TikTok. If I can at least prevent 10,000 people from voting for this ‘piece of trash,’ I will have accomplished something,” he added in another video.
Martelly criticized over PetroCaribe funds and his record in office
On Oct. 24, a TikToker, who uses the username @_Theddy0, criticized people considering voting for Martelly. He recalled how some supporters had called for a “vagabond” to lead Haiti during Martelly’s first presidential campaign.
In the video, Theddy0 argues that Martelly left no lasting achievements during his 2011-2016 presidency, contrasting his record with those of former presidents Dumarsais Estimé and Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as well as the Duvalier dictatorship.
The creator also disputes claims that Haiti prospered under Martelly or that his administration enjoyed round-the-clock electricity. Theddy0 argues that the power plants credited with improving electricity access were built under Martelly’s predecessor, the late President René Garcia Préval.
The creator further raises questions about the alleged misuse of $16 million earmarked for stadium construction and funds allocated to highway and viaduct projects.
“The Dominican Republic also received PetroCaribe funds. So, if Haiti was doing so well between 2011 and 2016, are we now at the same level as the Dominican Republic?” Theddy0 asks.
He also mocks claims that the country was thriving during Martelly’s presidency.
“$12 billion was wasted in the country. Indeed, the country was doing great, with two carnivals, motorcycles handed out through the ‘bay miche yon moto’ and the Ti Manman Cheri program,” he says sarcastically.
Another TikTok creator, identified as Camila, criticizes people who refuse to speak out against Martelly, including members of his inner circle who have urged her to remain silent. She calls them cowards who lack concern for their country.
“If I don’t at least open my mouth to speak out about what is happening, I will be even more shameless than this man,” Camila said. “I would be more shameless than a sanctioned criminal, seeking to run for office in a country that literally can no longer endure this level of misery.”
Other former officials and public figures also face opposition
Martelly and Privert are not the only political figures targeted by the online campaign. Creators have also urged voters to reject former lawmakers Gary Bodeau, Jerry Tardieu, Deus Deroneth, Claude Joseph and Joseph Lambert.
The criticism has extended to artists seeking political office, including comedians Daniel “Tonton Bicha” Fils-Aimé and Jacques Jr. “Kako” Bourjolly. Rapper Stevenson “Atros Rockfam” Telfort is also rejected.
In videos circulating on X, creators urge voters to reject candidates they associate with previous governments and the country’s ongoing crises. Some have compared voting for former officials, including Lambert, to voting for a gang leader.
Several of the candidates targeted by the wave of criticism are under foreign sanctions. Martelly has been sanctioned by the United States, Canada and the European Union. Former Sen. Lambert, who has not yet said whether he would run, also faces sanctions from the United States and Canada over allegations involving corruption, drug trafficking, gang financing, violence and human rights violations.
The online push comes amid broader international concerns about sanctioned individuals participating in Haiti’s electoral process. But foreign sanctions do not automatically determine eligibility under the country’s electoral rules.
The electoral framework does not automatically disqualify individuals subject to foreign sanctions from running for office. Candidates’ eligibility depends on the applicable provisions and requirements of Haiti’s electoral law and decree, which emphasize only the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions.
An Oct. 6 amendment to the electoral decree removed several requirements for candidates, including submitting a certificate from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) and other institutions managing public funds.
International actors like the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (UE) and the Spanish and Canadian embassies in Haiti have called for high standards of integrity and transparency to protect public trust in the electoral process.
In an Oct. 30 statement, the Canadian Embassy said it was concerned about individuals under international sanctions seeking office.
The embassy called on Haitian authorities, including the Provisional Electoral Council, known by its French acronym CEP, to ensure that electoral laws are respected and that the process maintains public confidence.
Supporters defend candidates targeted by online campaign
Some social media users have defended Martelly and other former officials, arguing that online opposition does not necessarily reflect the views of voters across Haiti.
“Social media is not the country,” user Rodriguez Paul Manet wrote on X. “Say whatever you want on social media, but we have more people on the ground than anyone else. The opposition is hesitating, but Martelly’s entire team will vote for him early in the morning.”
Another, Dukens Lerebours, expressed a similar view.
“The country is not on TikTok,” Lerebours wrote. “Those who will vote are registered voters. We are just waiting for the election. One way or another, Michel J. Martelly will be president.”
Candidates who have registered online and submitted their documents to the CEP have not necessarily been approved to run in the elections, which are scheduled for July 18 and Oct. 4, 2027. According to the current calendar, the electoral council will ultimately determine which applicants meet the requirements and publish an approved list on Jan. 11.
For now, the electoral process is unfolding as Haiti’s national security forces, backed by the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), work to restore stability amid persistent gang violence.
The online criticism reflects growing frustration among the youth with former political leaders and the country’s direction. But as responses from candidates’ supporters show, the debate over who should lead Haiti is also playing out among voters who downplay social media’s potential influence on the vote.
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