Criminal gangs attack the National Penitentiary of Port-au-Prince
On the night of this Saturday, the country’s criminal gangs stormed the National Penitentiary of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s main prison. According to police sources, an undetermined number of prisoners have been released, and it is believed that there could be thousands. This action has taken place after Jimmy Chérisier, known as ‘Barbecue’, one of the most prominent capos in Haiti, announced the beginning of a revolution against the government.
The Prime Minister is in Kenya
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ariel Henry is on an official trip to Kenya to coordinate a deployment of international forces aimed at containing the armed violence affecting the country. The UN has described Haiti as a ‘failed state’ with significant democratic deficiencies and problems in meeting the needs of the population.
The National Police of Haiti calls for reinforcements
Union 17 of the National Police of Haiti has asked for reinforcements through social networks, both from their fellow police officers and from the Army. They have also called for the protection of the country’s other prisons and the capital’s most important traffic intersections. Police sources have reported that an undetermined number of prisoners are already on the street amid great confusion.
Important prisoners and involved in the assassination of the president
Among the escaped prisoners are prominent crime leaders and the 18 Colombians accused of assassinating President Jovenel Moise last year. There are also other important figures such as Dimitri Hérard, former head of the former president’s security apparatus, and Jean Laguel Civil, security coordinator, all of whom have been charged in the case of mass murder.