Officials say Haiti’s Prime minister Ariel Henry, has landed in Pueto Rico as he tries to reach Haiti to quell growing gang attacks. This clears uncertainty around his whereabouts since a trip to Kenya, but questions on how and when he will return to Haiti still linger as gangs back home push for his ouster.
Puerto Rico’s governor’s office confirmed Henry had landed in capital San Juan, after reports from local media said the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, had earlier not authorized his plane to land.
Haiti’s government declared a state of emergency on Sunday 3, after inmates escaped in two major prison breaks, halting businesses, including airports, which have seen heavy gunfire take place near them in recent days.
As a result, all flights have been cancelled until further notice and the airport in the capital Port-au-Prince is, in essence, closed.
Meanwhile, powerful Haitian gang leader warned that the chaos engulfing the capital Port-au-Prince will lead to civil war and “genocide” unless Prime Minister Ariel Henry steps down. The stark comments from Jimmy Cherizier, known as “Barbecue,” came as Henry appeared to be struggling to fly home, with the main airport under attack.
“If Ariel Henry doesn’t resign, if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide,” Cherizier, a former police officer who is under UN sanctions for human rights abuses, told reporters in the capital.
“Either Haiti becomes a paradise or a hell for all of us. It’s out of the question for a small group of rich people living in big hotels to decide the fate of people living in working-class neighbourhoods,” the 46-year-old added.
In power since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise, Henry was due to step down in February but instead agreed to a power-sharing deal with the opposition until new elections are held.
Haitian officials have been pleading for months for international assistance to help their overwhelmed security forces, as gangs push beyond the city and into rural areas.
However, the U.N last year authorized a security mission but a deployment date has not been set. As of late February, the U.N. said five nations had formally pledged troops, with less than $11 million deposited into a fund.
