FRAPH, an acronym for Front Révolutionnaire de l'Avancement et du Progrès Haïtien (Haitian Revolutionary Front of Advancement and Progress), refers to a right-wing paramilitary organization that emerged in Haiti during the 1990s.
FRAPH was founded in 1993 by Emmanuel "Toto" Constant, a former Haitian army officer, with the goal of opposing the presidency of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was overthrown in a military coup in 1991. Constant and FRAPH supporters were accused of carrying out numerous human rights abuses, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and rape, targeting Aristide’s supporters and opponents of the military regime.
The group used intimidation, violence, and terror as tactics to maintain control and suppress any resistance towards their objectives. FRAPH members, often recognized by their red T-shirts and machetes, were known for their brutal acts against the civilian population, instilling fear in communities.
Despite being largely dismantled after Aristide's return to power in 1994, FRAPH maintained a presence and continued to engage in criminal activities. Constant fled to the United States in 1994, where he was later convicted for mortgage fraud but also faced allegations of human rights abuses in Haiti.
Due to the atrocities committed by the group, FRAPH became synonymous with terror and repression, its name widely associated with the darkest period of Haiti's recent history.
