Haiti: armed gangs fail in their attempt to assault the National Palace, what happened?

Armed gangs failed in their attempt to assault the National Palace of Haiti this Monday, although at least five police officers were injured, one of them seriously, while murders, kidnappings and looting continue to be the order of the day in the country's capital.

This Monday, the Haitian National Police (PNH) contained the attack against the symbol of political power in the country, an action witnessed by EFE carried out by the coalition of armed gangs 'Vivre Ensemble' (Living Together).led by former police officer Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbacue.

The units in charge of the security of the National Palace supported the Police to repel the attack, which It occurred amid great tension in the main public square of the Haitian capital, Champs de Mars, where the building is located, with people running in all directions to escape the gunshots..

The attackers also set fire to an armored police vehicle that had broken down around the National Palace.

In this context, the authorities extended the curfew until Wednesday in the Western Department, where Port-au-Prince is located. That demarcation was declared in a state of emergency on March 6, due to the violence of armed gangs, who almost completely control the capital area.

On the other hand, the Government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who promised to resign as soon as the Transitional Presidential Council is formalized, committed this Monday to work to ensure a peaceful transfer of responsibilities to that new body.

This was stated by the Council of Ministers in a statement in which it assured that it will request the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to send the agreement that establishes the creation of the Council.

Death scenes become commonplace

On Monday morning, before the attack, Four bodies were found, apparently riddled with bullets, in the Pétion-Ville sector, in the hills of Port-au-Prince.

Three of the bodies, as EFE was able to verify, were together face down, in the middle of a trail of blood, while the fourth was alone in an alley.

In a common situation in Haiti, neighbors came to see the scene, even children.

And it is that, For at least two weeks, bodies have been found almost daily in Pétion-ville, the scene of clashes between gangs and the Police.

Despite everything, the current levels of violence are far from those recorded at the end of February and the beginning of last March, when armed groups intensified their attacks against institutions, companies and private properties, all in the absence of the Haitian Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. , who is still out of the country and whose removal from power the gangs are demanding.

In those days, massacres and attacks continued, such as the assaults on March 2 at the country's two main prisons, which allowed the escape of some 3,600 prisoners, many of them members and leaders of armed gangs.

Nor were the surroundings of the international airport, which has not resumed operations, been spared from the violence, nor the Presidential Palace or the Ministry of the Interior, which attempted to be attacked or set on fire by the gang members.

Alarm over the situation in Haiti

Example of the violence in Haiti are the figures provided last week by the UN, which described the situation as a “cataclysm”, with more than 1,500 deaths at the hands of armed groups in the first three months of the year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti describes as “terrible” the levels of violence at the hands of armed gangs, with its consequent effects in all areas: more than 5.5 million people need humanitarian aid to survive, displaced people exceed 362,000, more than 50% of the population has problems feeding themselves and the health system is on the verge of collapse.

The schools are not left out either and they have not opened their doors in the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince for a month.

Pope Francis referred this Sunday in his Easter message to the crisis in Haiti, a country with a Christian majority for which he asked that “the violence that lacerates and bloodies cease as soon as possible, and that progress be made on the path of democracy and fraternity.” “.

The UN, alarmed by the situation, will hold a debate in the Human Rights Council on Tuesday and, the following day, the Organization of American States (OAS) will discuss, in a regular meeting, the draft resolution 'Support for the transition democracy in Haiti'.