Haitian police tear-gassed peaceful protesters demanding more be done to address rampant gang violence in the country, as the arrival of an international force has yielded little progress so far.
Protesters burned tires, saying authorities are not listening to their concerns, The Associated Press reported. "We're vulnerable to the bullets being fired day and night. Everyone is scared to walk outside because we'll be the next victims," protester Marclin Jean-Pierre told the outlet.
The situation could further deteriorate following a new prison break north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, late last week. Images from videos posted on social media showed prisoners climbing over walls and walking on streets alongside armed gang members, with black smoke rising from the prison facility, which held around 500 inmates.
There have been three prison breaks in Haiti in the past five months. In March, gangs raided the country's two largest prisons, resulting in the escape of over 4,000 detainees, including dangerous criminals and individuals involved in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
All of them have strengthened the criminal gangs that control vast swaths of the country, including 80% of the capital. The Miami Herald recently reported of clashes breaking out in the Solino neighborhood near the presidential palace, as Haitian police attempted to arrest one of the gang leaders who escaped in the March break.
The recent protest was in fact in Solino, where attendants sought to be heard by officers but were met with barricades and tear gas instead.
The ongoing crisis in Haiti has displaced nearly 600,000 people, and although there has been a slight decrease in killings and kidnappings in recent months, attacks by armed groups remain persistent. The U.N. reported that in the second quarter of 2024 alone, over 1,300 people were killed or injured, and 428 were kidnapped.
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