In Haiti, the leader of the bandits began the “liberation” war

In Haiti, a bandit leader declared a war of liberation in the capital

Gangster groups have paralyzed life in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Their leader announced his intention to “liberate” the country, the agency reports Associated Press. The shooting began in the city center and around the international airport on Thursday while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was out of the country in Kenya to finalize details of the deployment of foreign troops to fight gangs.

According to the agency, the video shows the leader of the Haitian gang G9, nicknamed “Barbecue”, Jimmy Cherizier, stating that his goal is to prevent Henri from returning to Haiti. “We will liberate the country with the help of our weapons and the Haitian people,” the agency quotes the bandit as saying.

Armored vehicles patrol the streets of Port-au-Prince and officers are stationed in gang-controlled slums, according to an agency report. It is unclear whether other major gangs support Cherizier, who is estimated to control up to 80% of the capital.

Local publication Nouvelliste reports that airlines have canceled all flights from Port-au-Prince due to gunfire at the airport. Haiti suffers from a chronic socio-political crisis that has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in the summer of 2021. The inaction of the authorities has led to an increase in the influence of bandit groups involved in extortion, kidnapping and controlling various parts of the country.