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Armed gangs, a broken government, and what it means for Haitians. : Up First NPR's Eyder Peralta reports from a country caught between criminal gangs, a broken government and a multinational police mission with a history of brutality. In this episode of The Sunday Story, Eyder asks what that current situation means for Haitians facing spiraling gang violence and the arrival of an international security force in a nation with a legacy of disastrous foreign interventions.

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The Sunday Story: On the Ground in Haiti

The Sunday Story: On the Ground in Haiti

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Jimmy Chérizier, a former officer with the Haitian National Police known as Barbeque who now leads a gang federation. Odelyn Joseph/AP hide caption

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Odelyn Joseph/AP

Jimmy Chérizier, a former officer with the Haitian National Police known as Barbeque who now leads a gang federation.

Odelyn Joseph/AP

Haiti has been through a lot lately. During the past several months criminal gangs have taken over 80 percent of the capital. They closed the main port and attacked the country's main airport, they even forced the prime minister out of office. In this episode of The Sunday Story, NPR's Eyder Peralta reports from a country on the brink.

During his recent trip to Port-au-Prince Eyder interviewed Jimmy Chérizier, a powerful gang lord known as Barbeque who says he's leading a revolution. The reality on the ground is very different. As Eyder meets Haitians facing mass displacement and a rising death toll, it becomes clear that Barbeque is not the liberator he claims to be.

Now, a multinational police force put together by the international community has started to arrive. Led by Kenya, the welcoming ceremony for the first group of officers was marred by news of deadly police violence at home in Nairobi. Traveling deep into gang-controlled areas of Port-au-Prince, Eyder finds Haitian gang members gearing up for a fight and a people caught in the crosshairs.

This episode was reported by Eyder Peralta. It was produced by Abby Wendle. It was edited by Luis Trelles. And it was fact-checked by Gretta Pittenger. Engineering by Gilly Moon.

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