Cap-Haïtien authorities tear down businesses along The Boulevard, sparking backlash

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Cap-Haïtien’s local government partially demolished at least 17 structures along The Boulevard on Jan. 9, targeting restaurants, hotels, and other buildings, officials said, that were constructed too close to the sidewalk and failed to meet a required five-meter setback.

The operation, carried out with an excavator, sparked tension on the ground. 

City officials said the demolitions were meant to clear sidewalks for pedestrians. But some business owners and residents questioned how authorities selected which structures to target, arguing that enforcement appeared uneven.

Some of the affected businesses, including Barik Restaurant and Plux Hotel, had already sustained damage during a fire on May 27.

Barik’s manager, Henry Max Antoine, said the restaurant respected the five-meter rule and should not have been touched.

“Why did he destroy here? We’re not on the sidewalk, we’re not occupying the sidewalk,” Antoine said as he looked at the debris. “I can’t say it’s because he has an issue with me because I don’t think I have problems with him [Northern Delegate Marc Présumé].” 

The tension escalated as the demolition unfolded.

Cap-Haitien National Police arrested a man after he pushed the city attorney, Éno Zéphirin. Zéphirin later struck the man in the face after his arrest. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was bleeding from the head after police officers pushed him to the ground while detaining him.

“Wait for legal action for impertinence, lack of respect, irreverence against the city attorney,” Zéphirin told reporters. 

Residents looked on as excavators tore into structures along the Boulevard’s most frequented commercial areas. Some residents helped business owners move food carts and equipment out of the way, while others shouted at authorities in frustration. 

Allegations of selective demolition

Sources told The Haitian Times that Northern Delegate Marc Présumé may have ordered the demolition following a dispute with Eddy Salomon, the owner of Plux Hotel. Plux was the first structure demolished that day, followed shortly by Barik, which Salomon previously owned.

Présumé denied the allegation.

“We didn’t come here to destroy. If we came here to destroy, we would’ve destroyed everything we found on The Boulevard,” Présumé told reporters. “We were looking for sidewalks because sidewalks are for people to walk on.”

He added that authorities plan to clean up debris and install chairs along the sidewalk for public use.

It is unclear whether the city authorities notified business owners in writing before the demolition. Northern Delegate Marc Présumé began dismantling parts of Plux Hotel on Dec. 23, but owner Salomon rebuilt a temporary structure shortly afterward. Présumé returned to The Boulevard on the evening of Jan. 8 and told business owners he would resume demolition along the sidewalk the following morning at 10 a.m.

Business left untouched

Despite the enforcement, several popular establishments on The Boulevard were not damaged, including Lakay Bar Restaurant, Gwòg Bar n’ Grill, and Boukanye Bar & Grill—fueling further debate about consistency.

Présumé stopped in front of Lakay Bar Restaurant during the operation and instructed employees to remove large boxes from the sidewalk. Clients usually sit on the sidewalk in front of Lakay. Workers at Lakay and Boukanye moved chairs and seating indoors before demolition crews arrived in their areas. 

In addition to Présumé and Zéphirin, Mayor Angie Bell was also present during the operation. 

“All the work needs to be done; this won’t be completed in one weekend,” Bell told reporters. “We have to go to the mountains too, because the construction there isn’t good either. They have to destroy them, not just The Boulevard, everywhere, so we don’t lose the city.”

Cap-Haitien authorities carried out a demolition operation on The Boulevard on January 9, 2026

It remains unclear when authorities will continue demolition work along The Boulevard. For now, the area looks markedly different. Where residents once moved freely between restaurants and storefronts, piles of debris now line the sidewalks. The Boulevard—long cherished by residents as a social and commercial hub—has lost much of its appeal amid the enforcement of construction rules and lingering questions about how decisions were made.

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