The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the West (CCIO) is following with the utmost concern the continuing deterioration of the security and logistical situation in the strategic area located between National Road 1, Route 9, and the perimeter of Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

The statement recently issued by several major companies in the country (Brasserie de la Couronne, Barbancourt Distillery, and Brasserie Séjourné) highlights a reality that extends far beyond immediate economic interests. Behind the threatened industrial sites, warehouses, and roads, it is first and foremost women and men, entire families, local communities, and thousands of workers who are now living in uncertainty, fear, and insecurity.

Every job jeopardized represents a vulnerable household. Every interruption of activity compromises parents' ability to provide for their children, ensure their education, access healthcare, or simply maintain a minimum of stability in an already extremely difficult context. The human consequences of abandoning this area would be considerable.

This issue concerns not only the business community but also society as a whole. When a strategic economic hub collapses, supply chains, public revenue, formal employment opportunities, and social cohesion all suffer.

The CCIO believes that no serious strategy for stabilizing the metropolitan region can ignore securing and restoring this vital artery. Allowing a lawless zone to become entrenched at the airport's doorstep would not only weaken the national economy but also condemn thousands of citizens to even more difficult living conditions.

Therefore, the CCIO calls on the relevant authorities to :

• Take urgent measures to secure the area in order to protect the population, workers, and residents;

• Prioritize the rehabilitation of critical road infrastructure, an essential condition for any effective intervention by law enforcement;

• Preserve existing economic activities, safeguard jobs, and prevent the worsening of social vulnerability;

• Establish a public-private consultation framework to allow for close monitoring of the situation and sustainable solutions.

The Chamber reaffirms its willingness to contribute, in a constructive spirit, to any technical or institutional initiative aimed at protecting this strategic area, preserving the dignity of the families involved, and preventing major economic and human consequences.

HL/ HaitiLibre