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Haiti's Ministry of Culture and Communication fired two government officials on Tuesday in the wake of a stampede at the Citadelle Laferriere that killed at least 25 people over the weekend.
The deadly crush formed at the entrance to the 19th-century fortress in northern Haiti on Saturday, as some visitors tried to exit while others pushed to enter. A local DJ had been holding an event at the historic site when stormy weather sent participants scrambling for cover, worsening the crowding. Nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the tragedy, including five police officers and two employees from the Institute for the Preservation of National Heritage, according to Al Jazeera.
One of the fired officials, a director with the heritage institute, was accused of "serious negligence." The other, who served in the culture ministry, was criticized for "biased passivity." The ministry said in a statement that it considers the tragedy "the result of administrative negligence" and vowed the government "will fully assume its responsibilities."
The country has entered three days of national mourning. Beyond the stampede itself, approximately 12 people died elsewhere in Haiti due to heavy rains that flooded at least 900 homes and a hospital.
The crisis adds to an already dire situation for the Haitian government, which faces its first round of general elections later this year while battling entrenched gang violence. A United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force began arriving in Haiti earlier this month, and the UN has counted at least 5,519 gang-related deaths in the country from March 2025 through mid-January 2026. The Citadelle Laferriere, commissioned after the Haitian Revolution when the country's enslaved population overthrew French colonial rule, has long stood as a symbol of Haitian sovereignty — making the tragedy all the more painful for the nation.
