Haiti's main Toussaint Louverture International Airport was attacked by heavily armed gangs on Monday. The airport was closed at the time of the attack, so there were no passengers or planes. Associated Press reporters saw an armored truck trying to stop the gangs on the runway. There was no official information about the success of the attack late Monday night.
There were already minor shooting incidents near the airport last week, and the situation was exacerbated by armed gangs storming the country's two largest prisons over the weekend, freeing thousands of prisoners. The Haitian government declared a state of emergency for 72 hours Starting Sunday evening, necessary measures are being planned to locate the escaped prisoners.
It is estimated that the city of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs by up to 80%. These groups work together in an increasingly coordinated manner and attack targets such as the central bank. Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled to Kenya to seek help from the United Nations.
The security of the country with a population of 11 million should be ensured by only 9,000 police officers, but at the same time, corruption has decimated law enforcement agencies as well.
From the prison and reformatory at Croix-des-Bouquets A total of more than four thousand prisoners escaped.
Gang leader Jimmy Scherizer (who previously served in the elite police force) announces that he will prevent Henry from returning home and eliminate the D.C. police force.
Cover photo: Police officers on the streets of Port-au-Prince in 2022. The photo clearly shows that two years ago they had to fight criminal gangs with inadequate equipment. The police officer on the right doesn't even see his assault rifle. Front page illustration source: Guerinault Louis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
