Displaying items by tag: gang violence

Haiti faces uncertainty after prime minister Ariel Henry's resignation, welcomed by Haitians amid escalating gang violence. Henry, stranded in Puerto Rico, pledged to resign once a transition council and temporary leader were chosen. US officials, after talks in Jamaica, expect the council to be appointed soon. Acting prime minister Michel Boisvert has signalled his willingness to facilitate an orderly transition. Port-au-Prince shows signs of improved security; the streets are quiet and the main cargo port has been reopened, though the airport remains closed. One of Haiti’s largest TV stations has left its headquarters, citing the insecurity. In another potential setback, the plans to deploy Kenyan police officers for a UN-backed security mission are on hold pending a new interim government. Haitians hope for stability as they await a new leadership amidst ongoing challenges.

500 riot police officers entered a prison after a riot broke out at the facility, in the municipality of Cantel. At least seven prisoners were killed in the fight between rival gangs: most of them were beheaded. The prison, 125 miles from the capital, was built to house 500 inmates but has more than 2,000. Police sources told local media one of the inmates had ordered the attack on rival gang members in retaliation for the murder of his wife, who had been shot dead by two men on motorbikes hours earlier. According to the source, this man is serving a sentence for murder. Almost half of the roughly 3,500 violent deaths a year in Guatemala are carried out by gangs.