Haiti's Fake News Problem: How Myths and Misinformation Are Hindering Progress

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Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” Yesterday, I came across a video on WhatsApp titled "Sa fenk tonbe! Yo ta jwenn yon rezèv petwòl Wanament" which translates to "Breaking News! A diesel oil reserve has been discovered in Wanament."

The video claimed that diesel fuel was found right on the street of the city in the northeast of Haiti where the “Kanal la p ap kanpe” movement was launched. In a matter of a few hours, the video racked up more than 85,000 views, 2,500 likes, and 1,000 comments. Despite its implausible nature, many people believed the claim, even fearing that it could prompt an invasion by the Dominican Republic to seize this supposed resource.

It's surprising how many people think that diesel, which is actually made by refining crude oil in petroleum refineries, could just naturally seep out of the ground.

The Power of Disinformation

I would normally dismiss such a post as ridiculous, but the fact that thousands believed it is concerning. Before this video, there was one showing crude oil seeping from the soil in an area called “Sous Matela.” A simple Google search revealed that the footage was actually of a ruptured pipeline in the Libyan desert.

These instances of disinformation serve a singular purpose: profit. The more views a video gets, the more money the poster earns. This selfish act perpetuates the narrative that Haiti's turmoil stems from the international community’s interest in its resources. Once this belief is ingrained, it becomes nearly impossible to dispel.  More importantly, fake news can significantly impact public opinion on critical national matters, such as the proposed Kenya-led peacekeeping mission. If the public is led to believe that Haiti possesses oil and iridium reserves, they could be easily misled into believing that the intervention's true purpose is to seize control of these resources.

The Iridium Myth

Another persistent belief is the existence of vast iridium deposits in Haiti. This idea gained traction after an interview on the popular show "Le Point" with Mr. Henry Vixamar, who claimed that Haiti is home to trillions of dollars in iridium reserves, as well as significant quantities of oil, gold, and copper.

Mr. Vixamar stated that Haiti has the second-largest iridium reserve, following South Africa. However, a 2022 report by Haiti’s Offices of Mine and Energy– the official entity responsible for assessing and reporting on the country’s natural resources – concluded that “Assigning an economically exploitable mining target to the iridium identified in the geological layers in and around Beloc is pure utopia....”

Viewers might wonder about Mr. Vixamar’s qualifications or evidence to support his claims, as he did not provide any during the interview. Despite this, such claims have become a basis for those who argue that the international community, particularly the US, wants to exploit Haiti's mineral wealth.  Indeed, some very educated people in my network who believe that Haiti is sitting on reserves worth billions will not be convinced otherwise.  At this point, no reports or facts will change their belief.

Consequences of Unchecked Claims

The combination of social media with deceitful gossipers has led many to struggle with discerning fact from fiction. It's easy for Haitians, especially those in the diaspora, to believe narratives of international plots against Haiti, despite a lack of evidence.

Fake news is not unique to Haiti, but given our historical marginalization, there is a tendency among Haitians to feel targeted by the world. This environment is ripe for misinformation to thrive and profit.  The unfortunate impact is that this misinformation shifts focus from the real challenges facing Haiti and undermines constructive discussions about the country’s development, as debates are overshadowed by baseless claims.

Trust but Verify

The Haitian community is overwhelmed with online news sites, opinion leaders, and influencers. They have creative names like “ Bat Bravo pou la Jenès or Clap for the Youth “Machann Zen” or Merchant of Gossips, and “Tripotay Lakay” or Rumors at Home.  And despite their ground-level reporting, they often misinform the public to get more viewers and monetize their Facebook and YouTube channels. One direct impact is that these influencers have skewed public perception of important issues and impeded the constructive dialogues that are needed to affect change in the country.

While identifying fake news is difficult, there are a few common sense things we can do. First, we must remember the importance of skepticism, as highlighted by President Reagan's "Trust but Verify" maxim.  Our suspicions should be aroused when the information aligns too conveniently with existing preconceived notions. This is what I wrote about in a previous post “Keeping in check our confirmation bias.”   

Second, we should trust our instincts—if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. For instance, viewers should question why a major discovery like the diesel fuel coming out of the soil would only be reported by a Facebook page called “Tande koze.”  Yet, no other news source has reported it.

Lastly, we can use tools like Google Reverse Image to check the authenticity of images and videos.

As Thomas Francklin noted in his 1787 sermons, falsehood spreads quickly, while truth moves slowly but surely. It's our responsibility to chase the truth, no matter how slow the pursuit may be.