The National Police of Haiti took down several members of armed gangs in Dorco, in the capital municipality of Petion-ville, during a confrontation with gangsters. According to law enforcement, the events occurred on Tuesday and resulted in the fatal wounding of members of the 'Kraze baryè' gang, led by Vitelhomme Innocent. A firearm was seized during the operation.
The PNH renewed its commitment to pursue armed gangs throughout the national territory to restore peace and security. The West department, where the capital is located, is severely affected by the activities of these criminal groups that control most of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
In another incident, Haiti remains shocked by the death of Lebelt Macenat, a student at the Center for Diplomatic and International Studies (CEDI) in Bourdon, who died in class on Tuesday due to a stray bullet. The Presidential Transition Council expressed its outrage over this event and reiterated its commitment against the gangs that threaten life and security in the country.
The Council, led by Leslie Voltaire, aims to drastically reduce insecurity in Haiti. From the Prime Minister's Office, they described the events at CEDI as heinous and lamentable, which led the academic institution to suspend its activities this week.
Despite the deployment of the Multinational Support Mission for Security led by Kenya and endorsed by the UN, with more than a thousand troops on the ground since last June, violence continues in this Caribbean country. According to the UN, at least 5,626 people were killed in Haiti in 2024 at the hands of criminal gangs, an increase compared to the previous year, along with 2,213 injured and 1,494 kidnapped.
For its part, the International Organization for Migration reported that the number of displaced persons in Haiti has tripled in a year and exceeds one million people, more than half of whom are children.
