Violent Prison Break Sparks Kidnapping, Murder, Mayhem in Haiti ...

(Bloomberg) -- Haiti declared a state of emergency and is imposing a nighttime curfew after heavily armed gangs raided the country’s two biggest prisons over the weekend and violence gripped the capital. 

The prime minister’s office said “increasingly violent criminal acts” in Port-au-Prince, including kidnapping, murder and the ransacking of public property required a curfew from 6pm to 5am that will run through Wednesday, according to a statement late Sunday. 

Finance Minister Patrick Boivert, who is serving as acting prime minister and signed the statement, said police would use “all legal means” to enforce the curfew.

The emergency decree came on the heels of a violent weekend that marked a new low for Haiti. On Saturday, gangs overran the country’s two main prisons, killing and wounding police officers and allowing “the escape of dangerous prisoners,” the government said. Together, the two prisons held more than 5,000 prisoners.

On Thursday, gunfire near the capital’s main airport damaged some airplanes and led to the cancellation of some international flights. The national soccer stadium was also attacked. At least nine people had been killed since Thursday — four of them police officers.

The recent violence underscores the US and allies’ failure to keep Haiti stable after providing more than $5.5 billion to the troubled nation since the 2010 earthquake. 

Another international effort is now under way, as Kenya said it’s prepared to lead a UN-backed multinational security force to the troubled Caribbean nation. Along with Kenyan police forces, Benin, Jamaica and the Bahamas have offered to send troops. But the effort, which has a $200 million pledge from the US, has already been plagued by disagreements, tepid contributions, and delays.

Read More: Latest International Effort to Help Haiti Greeted by Doubts 

While Haiti has grappled with gang and political violence for years, the situation has deteriorated dramatically since the 2021 murder of President Jovenel Moise. Elections are long overdue and there have been growing calls for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down.  

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.