Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Violence erupted in the streets of Port-au-Prince as armed gangs stormed the main prison, resulting in the escape of the majority of the 4,000 inmates held there. The chaos follows a wave of unrest in recent years, with gangs aiming to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry now controlling 80% of the city.
Among the detained individuals were gang members charged in connection with the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The situation escalated further when gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue,” initiated a coordinated attack to remove the Prime Minister from power.
In the midst of the violence, four police officers lost their lives in a series of shootings, prompting the French embassy in Haiti to caution against travel in and around the capital. In response to the escalating situation, Haiti’s police union requested military assistance to secure the prison, but the compound was ultimately breached by the armed gangs.
The chaos continued as the prison doors remained open, with no signs of officers in sight. Reports emerged of three inmates lying dead in the courtyard, while a volunteer prison worker indicated that 99 prisoners, including former Colombian soldiers connected to President Moïse’s murder, opted to stay in their cells to avoid becoming caught in the crossfire.
Since President Moïse’s assassination, Haiti has been in a state of political turmoil, with no successor named and no elections held since 2016. An agreement was in place for elections to take place and for the unelected Prime Minister Henry to step down by February 7, but this transition never materialized, further deepening the instability in the country.