Amiot Métayer (died 20/21 September 2003) was a gang leader in
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. His gang, based in the northern city of
Gonaïves
Gonaïves (; ht, Gonayiv, ) is a commune in northern Haiti, and the capital of the Artibonite department of Haiti. It has a population of about 300,000 people, but current statistics are unclear, as there has been no census since 2003.
History ...
, was called the "
Cannibal Army". He was also known as "Ti-Cubain" (créole for Little Cuban). Although he had once worked for Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in ...
to put pressure on his political opposition, the government arrested him for
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
on May 21, 2002, after pressure from the U.S. government for his acts of violence towards political parties. At the time of his arrest, the
Bush
Bush commonly refers to:
* Shrub, a small or medium woody plant
Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to:
People
* Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name
**Bush family, a prominent American family that includes:
*** ...
administration had been putting constant pressure on the Haitian government to arrest him as well as other such "handyman" that were being employed by Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in ...
. He was, however, freed from jail by members of his gang in August 2002 and proceeded to lead anti-government riots. He was found murdered in September 2003, his body dumped in the bushes, with his heart, liver and eyes missing. His supporters accused Aristide of having ordered his death.
In March 2004, following a successful
rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
against Aristide in February (of which
Buteur Métayer, Amio's brother, was a leader), newly appointed Haitian prime minister
Gérard Latortue
Gérard Latortue (born 19 June 1934 in Gonaïves) is a Haitian politician and diplomat who served as the prime minister of Haiti from 12 March 2004 to 9 June 2006. He was an official in the United Nations for many years, and briefly served as for ...
visited Gonaïves and paid tribute to Métayer, calling for a moment of silence to remember him.
Notes
External links
Haiti in the balance: why foreign aid has failed and what we can do about it
Year of birth missing
2003 deaths
Haitian rebels
Gang members
People from Gonaïves
{{Haiti-bio-stub