Haiti and the Economics of Kidnapping
Not all kidnappings are transactional in nature. Not all kidnappings are opportunistic occurrences by those willing to go the distance to fill their pockets through the negotiating tactics of plata o plomo (silver or lead). There are kidnappings in Haiti (and elsewhere) wherein an opposing gang member is snatched up, held, and tortured for a period, and then killed. There is a certain type of value attributed to such an act. But there is no exchange of goods, monies, or services.
Should Claude Joseph have Stepped Down?: The Aftermath of the Assassination of Jovenel Moïse (Thus Far)
In the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse's brutal assassination, speculations have run amok concerning possible culprits. One of the names that seem to be dominating conspiratorial spaces is that of Claude Joseph, Haiti's (now former) Interim Prime Minister. Joseph took up the function of acting president for the period until elections are held in the fall. Joseph earned a Ph.D. in public and urban policy from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School in 2018. His dissertation was entitled Three Essays on Foreign Aid, Institutions, and Development (The New School; see also SAGE). No