In the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, commercial and educational activities have come to a halt due to threats from armed gangs linked to the coalition Vivre Ensemble, led by former police officer Jimmy Cherizier, also known as 'Barbecue.' Despite the scheduled takeover by the newly designated Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, schools, universities, banks, businesses, and some consulates have closed their doors in the metropolitan area.
On the streets of the city, the flow of people and vehicles has significantly decreased, and gunfire has been reported in some areas. The armed gangs have announced days of terror, urging the population to remain in their homes through messages disseminated by the alias 'Barbecue,' who warns of the onset of a new battle.
In a video posted on social media, 'Barbecue' mentions the conflict between the Presidential Transition Council and former Prime Minister Garry Conille, which culminated in the latter's removal and replacement by Didier Fils-Aime. The disagreements between Conille and the Council, supposedly related to allegations of corruption and the former Prime Minister's resistance to making ministerial changes, have marked the political situation in the country.
Despite the presence of the Multinational Security Support Mission, led by Kenya and backed by the UN, violence persists in Haiti. According to the United Nations Integrated Office in the country, between July and September of this year, at least 1,223 people lost their lives and 522 were injured as a result of violence and clashes with gangs. During the first half of the year, 3,900 victims were recorded among the dead and injured, highlighting the severe security crisis in the Caribbean nation.
