In a recent turn of events in Haiti, gang leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier has issued a chilling threat towards political leaders considering participating in a transition council. This threat comes amid escalating violence in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, where fires have broken out and armed gangs wreak havoc.
The situation has become so dire that nearby countries have bolstered their border security and begun to withdraw embassy staff from Haiti. Plans to send an international security force to the troubled nation are now uncertain as chaos continues to unfold.
The turmoil reached a tipping point when the main penitentiary in Haiti caught fire after being emptied by armed men earlier this month. Violence in the capital has been on the rise, with shootings and attacks on the police academy becoming all too common.
Haiti has been grappling with a longstanding political and humanitarian crisis, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital. Former Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he would step down once the transition council was in place, but Cherizier’s threat adds another layer of complexity to an already unstable situation.
In response to the escalating crisis, Canada, the United Nations, and the United States have reduced embassy staff in Haiti and closed their embassies to the public. Regional stability concerns have also led to increased security measures in neighboring countries like the Turks and Caicos Islands and Florida.
The Dominican Republic closed its border with Haiti last year and has been deporting Haitians regularly. Aid groups report that people in Port-au-Prince are living in constant fear, facing food shortages, trauma, illness, and overcrowding amid violence and instability. Over 360,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, with residents facing the constant threat of gang violence and an uncertain future.
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