Here is the converted article in Markdown format:

Haiti’s Path to Justice and Reconciliation

====================================================

As Haiti struggles to rebuild after years of crisis, a critical component is missing: justice. The country faces an unprecedented opportunity to design its own mechanisms for punishing violent and corrupt actors while helping traumatized victims heal and restoring social trust.

A Crucial Lesson from Colombia

Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) offers a restorative approach to transitional justice. By prioritizing cooperation with judicial processes, the JEP has reduced sentences for offenders who participate in restorative projects that benefit the victims, such as environmental restoration and infrastructure renewal.

Implementing a Macro Cases System

Haiti could adopt a similar approach by implementing a macro cases system, identifying patterns of violence and prioritizing key actors within its complex conflict landscape. This would allow Haitian magistrates to address the root causes of violence and promote societal healing and reconciliation.

Lessons from Guatemala

Guatemala’s experience with the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) offers valuable insights. CICIG, established by the UN and Guatemalan government, carried out complex investigations and proposed reforms to dismantle powerful criminal networks. The commission worked proactively with national authorities, strengthening state institutions and empowering civil society.

A Hybrid Mechanism for Haiti

A hybrid mechanism like CICIG could be established in Haiti, providing international expertise and financial support to build national capacities and reform justice and security institutions. This would enable Haitian prosecutors to shed light on high-profile cases, such as PetroCaribe corruption and the killing of President Moise.

Challenges Ahead

However, Guatemala’s experience also serves as a cautionary tale. CICIG faced backlash from elites when it threatened their interests, ultimately leading to its shuttering in 2019. Honduras and El Salvador’s hybrid mechanisms have since been dismantled.

Maintaining Broad Support

To succeed, Haiti must maintain broad political and popular support while strengthening domestic justice and security institutions. This will require an inclusive dialogue process that allows the Haitian people to develop and lead their own anti-corruption and institution-building processes.

A New Beginning

Haiti has a unique opportunity to break cycles of conflict and corruption by designing its own mechanisms for justice and reconciliation. The country’s new government must prioritize building strong, transparent judicial institutions while addressing urgent needs for security, economic revival, and public services.

Drawing Inspiration

The path forward is not without challenges, but Haiti can draw inspiration from Colombia’s JEP and Guatemala’s CICIG. Ultimately, the Haitian people themselves will need to choose the combination that best fits their needs and design their own roadmap toward a future that combines both justice and peace.

PHOTO CAPTION

A morning scene in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood, Haiti, July 18, 2021. (Federico Rios/The New York Times)