Tèt Kole marks 40 years of peasant resistance in Haiti amid crisis
The national peasant movement forgoes large celebrations, opting for local assemblies as gang blockades and insecurity grip the country.
The Haitian peasant organization Tèt Kole Ti Peyizan Ayisyen is marking 40 years of existence and resistance this September 2026, according to Brasil de Fato. Reporting from Cha Dafol, Cap-Haïtien, the outlet noted that what would normally be days of festivities — bringing together hundreds of peasants, men and women, young and veteran, from across the country — will not take place this year. With roads blocked by gangs and a particularly tense climate around the capital, the movement said conditions do not allow for the commemorations the milestone deserves. Instead, Tèt Kole plans dozens of local assemblies over the coming months, offering moments of reflection, criticism and self-criticism alongside its base. Founded in September 1986, the movement describes itself as a peasant advocacy organization promoting popular organization, grassroots training and the defense of rural people's rights against imperialism and the country's elites. "Our concrete goal is to reach a society without favors. A society where people can live as people. A society where those who work are those who eat. We haven't reached that yet. But precisely for that reason, we cannot lose heart or give up," said Jean-Jacques Henrilus, a member of the movement, as quoted by Brasil de Fato.