While Haiti is known to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and still serves as a stop on certain cruises around the Caribbean, the island nation neighbored by the Dominican Republic has in recent years become associated primarily with gang violence and political strife.
Since the start of March, one of the country's most notorious gang leaders has orchestrated an armed rebellion against sitting Prime Minister Ariel Henry by blocking government buildings, taking over police stations and breaking open prisons to get inmates to join the coup. Henry formally announced his resignation in a video message on March 11 but violence between rival gangs continues to run rampant through the country.
Related: 'Rough world out there': The government issues warning about traveling anywhere
While such an environment will not incline many tourists to book a trip to Haiti, the U.S. State Department issued a formal warning to not travel to the country and for all American citizens currently there to get out as soon as possible.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
'Kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens...'
The State Department ranks foreign countries according to a system ranging from Level One's "Exercise Normal Precautions" to Level Four "Do Not Travel" that is usually given to active war zones and authoritarian governments.
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While Haiti has been under level four since July 2023 amid the rise of political gang violence, recent developments in the country have caused the government to reiterate its warning to travelers.
"Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens," the State Department writes of the country. "Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked."
It added that "travelers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport" while "robbers and carjackers also attack private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic congestion and often target lone drivers, particularly women."
With the political takeover forcing Haiti to declare a state of emergency at the start of March, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti also issued a travel alert saying that the "current security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous."
Embassy releases warning, asks those in the country to fill out crisis intake form
Multiple embassy staff have been ordered to leave at the start of the week while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in Jamaica for an emergency meeting on the security situation in Haiti with other high-level officials and heads of state.
While the Embassy said that its ability to help citizens leave the country is "severely limited," it urged anyone currently in Haiti to fill out the crisis intake form on its website to be on its watchlist.
"We are aware that there are few or no commercial options to depart Haiti safely at this time," the embassy said in its alert. "As they become available, we urge U.S. citizens to take advantage of them."
In the meantime, the embassy is urging those in Port-au-Prince in particular as well as other parts of Haiti to be aware of one's surroundings, avoid crowds, and "be prepared to shelter in place for an extended time period" if finding that violence unexpectedly breaks out around you.
