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The gap between rich and poor in Haiti is clearly visible in the architecture of Pétionville, the hilltop suburb to the east of Port-au-Prince that is home to the country's elite, the 1 percent of the population which, some sources say, owns in excess of 50 percent of Haiti's wealth. Pétionville -- Haiti's wealthiest town -- has a shopping district, restaurants, hotels, cafes, nightclubs; the amenities absent from Port-au-Prince are in evidence here. Still, the homes of the elite are surrounded by walls topped with barbed wire, and the grounds are patrolled by armed guards. There is not only a gap, but open resentment, if not outright antagonism between rich and poor in Haiti, exacerbated, perhaps, by the recent interest criminal and political gangs have taken in kidnapping for ransom as a method of raising funds. Many of Pétionville's residents work or own businesses in Port-au-Prince, and they are likely targets of the carjackings and kidnappings that have become common -- 6 to 12 kidnappings have taken place every day in the past months in the capital alone.
Credit: Two Tone Productions
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Briefing
Read about the political, economic, social, and historical realities of Haiti that will influence upcoming elections.
Handbook
Learn about people and organizations making a difference in Haiti's developing civil society.
Filmmaker Notes
Go behind the scenes with filmmakers Daniel Morel, Jane Regan, and Whitney Dow.
A Developing World View: Interactive Atlas
Ways of comparing the world's haves and have-nots.
Corruption Chart
Calculate the cost of the culture of corruption.
Mexico Photo Forum
React to photos on human rights and corruption in Mexico.
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