Port-au-Prince burst into color as Vodou followers gather for “march for peace”

Port-au-Prince burst into color as 200 Vodou followers gathered for a vibrant “march for peace” led by popular Vodou priest Augustin Saint Clou. Dressed in purple, the sacred color of Gede, spirits of the dead, they danced to pounding drums, calling for calm in a city plagued by gang violence.

But the peaceful procession was halted. Authorities, citing security concerns, blocked the march through the capital’s streets.

“The spirits sent me a message,” said Saint Clou. “A message of peace for our lives, mystically, spiritually, positively, and negatively... We will stay because that is what the state ordered us to do.”

Once shunned by Haiti’s elites, Vodou is gaining new prominence. As deadly gangs tighten their grip on the country, many Haitians are turning to the religion for solace, strength, and spiritual protection.

With violence rising and faith deepening, Vodou is no longer on the margins, it’s moving to the heart of Haitian life.