A 72-hour state of emergency and overnight curfew has been declared in and around the Haitian capital due to the escape of prisoners from two prisons. Over the weekend, gangs stormed one of Port-au-Prince’s largest prisons, killing at least 12 people and freeing nearly 4,000 inmates. This is reported by the BBC.
The leaders of the criminal gangs demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is out of the country. The gangs aiming to oust him control about 80% of Port-au-Prince.
The government said two prisons came under attack over the weekend, one in the capital and another in the nearby town of Croix de Bouquet.
Prisoners in Port-au-Prince include members of gangs accused of assassinating President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
The violence has gained momentum since February 29, when Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled to Nairobi to discuss sending a Kenyan-led multinational security force to Haiti.
Since the assassination of President Moise, the number of violence in Haiti has increased. A new president has not been elected in his place, and elections have not been held in the country since 2016.
According to the political agreement reached, elections were supposed to be held and Ariel Henry, who was not elected, was supposed to resign by February 7, but this did not happen.
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