According to Agence France-Presse, of the approximately 3.8 thousand prisoners held in the prison before the attack, about a hundred remain in prison at present. Armed men attacked the national prison in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, where unrest was taking place, and released an unknown number of prisoners. Ten people died in a mass escape of prisoners from Haiti’s largest prison.
Haiti has been experiencing a decades-long socio-political crisis that has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Since then, the inaction of the authorities has led to an unprecedented increase in the influence of gangster groups that engage in extortion, kidnapping for ransom and control entire areas of the country, including fuel terminals.
Gangster groups paralyzed life in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, their leader announced his intention to “liberate” the country, the Associated Press reports. The shooting in the city center and near the international airport began on February 29, during the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is in Kenya trying to finalize the details of the deployment of foreign armed forces in Haiti to fight gangs.
The agency’s report showed armored vehicles patrolling empty streets in central Port-au-Prince and standing guard near gang-controlled slums. It is unclear whether Cherizier is supported by other major gangs, which are estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince. Airlines on Thursday canceled all international and domestic flights from Port-au-Prince, whose airport came under gunfire, local newspaper Nouvelliste reported. Bandits attacked the police station in the Bon-Repo area and set it on fire. At least four law enforcement officers were killed as a result of the attack.
