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The explosive situation in Port-au-Prince: between violence and political silence
For the past 48 hours, the southern outskirts of the capital have been going through a period of extreme turbulence, marked by an unprecedented escalation of violence since Dr. Garry Conille took office. The town of Gressier, south of Port-au-Prince, has been under the yoke of gangs who have been imposing their law with impunity since last weekend.
The critical situation comes as Prime Minister Garry Conille is traveling abroad. Conille, on his Twitter account, has only reported discussions with high-level international authorities in Washington, without providing details. The photo ops and statements with the OAS Secretary have revived the specter of the fraudulent 2011 elections that saw Michel Martelly, by accident of history, become president of Haiti and he, the first of its three prime ministers, with sad and unforgettable memories.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, a series of brutal gang attacks resulted in the murder of about twenty citizens. These tragic events took place without any immediate reaction from the authorities and without the families receiving any condolences or sympathy for having been left defenseless by the authorities. The gangs also stormed three police stations, two of which were partially set on fire and the premises of the third partially destroyed.
The lack of reaction from the Prime Minister, who is on a trip, is all the more surprising given that he had promised a fierce fight against the gangs. However, more than two weeks after the replacement of the police chief and about a week after the deployment of foreign troops, nothing has happened.
Another worrying event is the kidnapping of a priest in the Gressier region, officially reported for the first time since Mr. Rameau Normil took over as head of the Haitian police. This kidnapping symbolizes the rise of gangs and their ability to act and cause harm with impunity.
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