Gangs in Haiti have torched sugarcane fields used for rum production amid their efforts to control various businesses and territories, posing a new threat to the nation’s renowned rum industry.

In an escalation of gang violence, at least 19.8 acres of sugarcane fields near the Rhum Barbancourt distillery in Port-au-Prince were set ablaze, impacting Haiti's crucial rum industry. Despite the destruction, the company reassures that production won’t be affected, but has halted community services for safety. This incident underscores the broader issue of increased gang activity and violence in Haiti, further destabilizing the nation.