Haiti: the Biden administration discreet about the kidnapping of sixteen Americans

The sixteen Americans and the Canadian were kidnapped in Haiti this Saturday, October 16 after a visit to an orphanage at the Maison La Providence de Dieu in Croix-des-Bouquets in Haiti.

© Odelyn Joseph / AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

There is still no news of the sixteen Americans and the Canadian kidnapped Saturday, October 16 in Haiti by an armed gang that also kidnapped many Haitians.

The group of American nationals had traveled to an orphanage in one of the most dangerous regions of the country.

The American authorities have not reacted officially to this spectacular kidnapping.

But it does spill a lot of ink in the American press.

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There is no official information on any ongoing negotiations with the kidnappers of the sixteen Americans and the Canadian.

But the

reports that

have arrived in Port-au-Prince.

If the Biden administration remains discreet so as not to endanger the lives of the hostages, Adam Kinzinger, member of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, spoke on CNN on Sunday, October 17.

The elected Republican assured that the United States will do everything to free the missionaries and their families.

But he also declared that there was no question of paying a ransom and that if necessary it would be necessary to mobilize: " 

" in order to recover the hostages.

Gang attack on the prime minister

The

points out that foreigners and especially Americans have become prime targets for armed gangs in Haiti who see it as the possibility of demanding a high ransom.

This spectacular kidnapping poses in any case a new challenge to the Haitian provisional government.

On Sunday, acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry had to flee in the face of heavy gunfire in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince controlled by armed gangs.  

►Also read: Haiti: an armed band carries out mass kidnappings, including American citizens

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• Haiti

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