Haitian Police Unions Plead for Help After Attack on Main Prison
On Saturday night, armed factions were nearing Haiti’s biggest prison, challenging the authorities who had requested assistance from the police due to ongoing gunfire in certain areas of the capital. This unrest comes as a prominent gang leader aims to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Two primary police unions in the Caribbean nation have appealed for support to prevent the escape of inmates, including numerous individuals deemed as high-profile criminals, from the National Penitentiary in Port-Au-Prince.
It was unclear how many had fled the prison, a number that newspaper Gazette Haiti said was “significant.”
According to Reuters sources, some individuals held in custody hesitated to depart together due to concerns about getting caught in the crossfire, as they feared it might lead to their deaths.
According to AyiboPost, local media reports indicated that the police officers assigned to the prison had left the premises on Saturday.
On Saturday, there was no official statement from the government of Haiti, the most economically challenged nation in the Americas, regarding the situation.
Intense gunfire in the past few days has sparked fear, following the urging of Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer and leader of a criminal gang, for various criminal factions to come together and overthrow Henry. Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, leads a coalition of gangs and is currently under sanctions from both the U.N. and the U.S.
ALSO READ:
- Gachagua Assembles Elite 20-Lawyer Squad to Fight Impeachment
- Exposed: Web of 19 Companies That Could Make or Break Gachagua in Impeachment Battle
- Makau Mutua Predicts Rigathi Gachagua Will Resign Before His Impeachment on Tuesday
- CSs Joho, Mbadi & Barasa Announce Key Appointments
- Ruto’s Ksh303B Borrowing Pushes Public Debt to Ksh10.5 Trillion, Set to Reach Ksh13 Trillion by 2028
The correctional facility, initially designed for a capacity of 700 inmates, housed 3,687 individuals as of February the previous year, as reported by the rights organization RNDDH. A 2017 publication from the same group highlighted significant overcrowding issues in the prison, attributing it to inadequate police staffing.
The assault on the prison comes in the wake of Friday’s incidents, wherein individuals bearing arms made an effort to seize control of the primary container port in the capital, leading to traffic disturbances. Additionally, there were warnings from gangs about potential attacks on additional police stations in the city.
Cherizier this week warned locals to keep children from going to school to “avoid collateral damages” as violence surged.
Prime Minister Henry, who assumed office following the assassination of the country’s former president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021, had initially committed to resigning by early February. However, he subsequently emphasized the need to restore security before holding elections to guarantee their fairness and freedom.
Haitian Police Unions Plead for Help After Attack on Main Prison
