In a coordinated overnight operation, Haiti police and civilian self-defense groups killed 28 gang members in Port-au-Prince, authorities announced Tuesday. The raids, part of intensified efforts to curb gang violence, unfolded in two high-stakes encounters in the city.
Deadly Confrontations in Petion-Ville and Downtown
At around 2:00 am, officers stopped a truck carrying gang members in the affluent suburb of Petion-Ville, while a separate group was intercepted aboard a bus in downtown Port-au-Prince, according to Haiti National Police spokesman Lionel Lazarre. Police opened fire, killing 10 suspects on the spot.
The remaining gang members fled, but local self-defense groups, emboldened by their opposition to gang rule, pursued and neutralized them. This marks a stark escalation in Haiti’s ongoing battle with heavily armed gangs that control roughly 80% of the capital.
Vigilante Justice Resurfaces
The crackdown echoes previous incidents of vigilante action in Port-au-Prince. Last year, residents took matters into their own hands, gruesomely killing and burning alleged gang members in public reprisals. Such actions underscore the desperation of communities plagued by relentless violence.
Renewed Gang Violence and Political Turmoil
The operation comes amid a surge in violence linked to Viv Ansanm, a coalition of gangs that ousted former Prime Minister Ariel Henry in February. Streets across Port-au-Prince remain barricaded and deserted following the latest clashes.
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherisier, a notorious gang leader and spokesman for Viv Ansanm, has demanded the resignation of Haiti’s transitional government, pledging to use “all means” to achieve their goals.
The Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), tasked with steering Haiti toward its first elections since 2016, is already mired in internal conflict. The recent swearing-in of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime to replace Garry Conille has further complicated the political landscape.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The spiraling violence has displaced more than 20,000 residents across Port-au-Prince within days, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration. The crisis escalated further last week when the U.S. suspended all civilian flights to Haiti for a month after gunfire struck three aircraft near Port-au-Prince.
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