The Haitian government has declared a state of emergency after a weekend marked by widespread violence and the escape of thousands of inmates from the country's largest prison. The situation, characterized by the government as a "deterioration of security," particularly in the capital of Port-au-Prince, has been attributed to escalating violence led by armed gangs.
Finance Minister Patrick Boivert, serving as acting prime minister, stated that the violence included kidnappings, killings, violence against women and children, and looting. The government highlighted attacks by armed groups on Saturday against the two largest prisons in the country, resulting in the escape of dangerous prisoners and casualties among police and prison staff.
A United Nations source reported that around 3,500 prisoners escaped from the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, out of a total of 3,687 inmates. Haitian lawyer Arnel Remy, head of the Collective of Lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights in Haiti (CADDHO), stated that 3,597 prisoners escaped, although CNN has not independently verified this figure.
Remy mentioned that remaining inmates are being relocated to other facilities, leaving the penitentiary empty and under police surveillance. The Ministry of Communication stated that police clashed with heavily armed criminals attempting to free detainees, resulting in injuries among inmates and prison staff.
The violence has been linked to gangs led by Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer known as Barbecue, who is calling for the removal of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Cherizier has urged the police and military to arrest Henry, claiming that doing so would lead to the country's liberation.
Cherizier, who heads an alliance of gangs, has previously faced sanctions from the UN and the US Department of the Treasury.
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