Daniel Lozano

Updated Saturday, March 9, 2024-19:53

  • Tension Intense shootings around the National Palace in the capital of Haiti

  • Crisis The Prime Minister of Haiti, stranded in Puerto Rico after preventing criminal gangs from returning to Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince resists the siege of street gangs led by former police officer

Jimmy Chérizier

, alias

Barbecue

, who have taken their violent challenge to the Government to the very doors of the National Palace.

The National Police forces were able to repel the attack by Vivir Juntos, the alliance of the different mafias trying to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The fighting was fierce in the Campo de Marte, which for years became a gigantic

camp for refugees from the

wild earthquake of 2010. That same earthquake also destroyed a good part of the National Palace.

A new night of violence in the midst of the chaos started by armed gangs nine days ago, taking advantage of the absence of Herny's country.

The prime minister remains stranded in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after his landing attempt in neighboring Santo Domingo failed.

Bolted to power since the assassination of President

Jovenel Moïse

in 2021, Henry has lost the trust of the United States and other allies after delaying the

pending elections

in the country again and again.

His last move, to call presidential elections before August of next year, was rejected both inside and outside the island.

It was adding gasoline to a fire that was already lit.

Even Haitians residing in Puerto Rico have gathered outside the hotel where he is located to show their rejection.

It is not even known if Ariel Henry will participate in the summit scheduled for tomorrow in Jamaica, led by the current president of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Guyanese

Irfaan Ali

.

"While we are making considerable progress, the stakeholders are still not where they should be," said the president of Guyana.

The Caribbean allies are racing against the clock to find a solution that guarantees

a peaceful transition

and the handover of power to a provisional government.

The first advance of Kenyan police officers is also expected, at least 400 of the thousand approved by the United Nations.

While the negotiations progress, Haiti and especially Port-au-Prince are barely resisting the onslaught of the violent men, who

managed to free more than 3,000 prisoners

after attacking the two largest prisons in the country a week ago.

On Friday night, there was once again a massive attack on State institutions; even through WhatsApp groups, neighbors spoke of a criminal Apocalypse.

The authorities reported looting and destruction of hospitals, schools and police stations, in addition to attempts to take over the Ministry of the Interior and the main headquarters of the National Police.

"The bandits destroyed the fences of the enclosure and the containers that were stored were also looted," warned

Jocelin Villier

, head of the National Port Authority.

The airport also remains under siege.

The violence of the attacks has left its outer walls with holes.

The situation is so compromised in Port-au-Prince that the Ministry of Defense of the neighboring Dominican Republic has prepared a contingency plan to extract its diplomats and officials from neighboring countries from the Haitian capital.