Haiti: armed men kidnap passengers from a bus in Port-au-Prince, including six nuns

First modification: 01/21/2024 – 23:30

3 min

A new chapter in the violence crisis in Haiti. Six nuns from the congregation of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne who were traveling on a bus were kidnapped on Friday, January 19, along with another unknown number of people, including the driver of the vehicle, in the capital of Haiti, the poorest country. of America and which is experiencing a growing spiral of violence due to criminal gangs.

The kidnapping was reported by the Vatican and confirmed this Sunday, January 21, by Pope Francis, after the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.

According to information provided by the Vatican news agency, Vatican News, the kidnapping took place on Friday “in broad daylight and in the center of the capital.”

“I received with pain the news of the kidnapping in Haiti of a group of people, including six nuns. In asking for their release, I pray for social harmony in the country,” said Pope Francis.

Vatican News indicated that the kidnapping was denounced by Monsignor Pierre-André Dumas, bishop of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne, of the archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, who condemned “with vigor and firmness this last hateful and barbaric act, which does not even respect the dignity of these consecrated women who give themselves wholeheartedly to God to educate and form the young, the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.

Bishop Dumas, who even offered himself as a hostage in his place, also asked for the release of the hostages and the end of “these despicable and criminal practices” and called on “the entire Haitian society to unite to form a true chain of solidarity around all the people kidnapped in the country.”

Extreme violence in Haiti

Haiti faces a deep crisis due to the extreme violence caused by armed groups that control the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the territory, where they commit murders, rapes, kidnappings and other crimes.

In particular, the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, has been the scene of a tense situation for months due to the action of gangs, which have taken control of several areas of the city, forcing the internal displacement of thousands of people.

Read alsoHaiti is experiencing a spiral of chaos: gangs, humanitarian crisis and desperate migration

In fact, on January 18, there was a new episode of violence in the city, with shootings, barricades of burning tires and the blocking of roads and entire neighborhoods, in the middle of a demonstration against the Government of Ariel Henry.

That day commercial activities and schools were paralyzed and public transportation was blocked.

During January, protests have resumed to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who took power shortly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

Protesters accuse Henry of allowing armed gangs to take over part of the city and other areas of the country, committing massacres, robberies, kidnappings, rapes and blocking access roads to the capital.

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For almost a year, hostilities have intensified between criminal groups that carry out intense attacks in an area located a few kilometers from the National Palace. The situation has caused dozens of families to flee their homes, increasing the improvised camps where thousands of people subsist in inhumane conditions.

With EFE and local media