The United States Embassy in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti was forced to evacuate non-essential personnel on Sunday as violent gang members continue to rampage across the island in an open insurrection against the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. As the US and other world governments assess how to respond to the escalating situation, notorious criminal boss Jimmy “Barbeque” Chérizier and his G9 & Family gang members—some of whom are reportedly cannibals—are on the verge of taking control of the capital and cementing themselves as the new leaders of Haiti.
“Heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near US Embassy compounds and near the airport led to the State Department’s decision to arrange for the departure of additional embassy personnel,” embassy representatives said in a statement on Sunday. They added the embassy will remain open with only essential staff remaining, and stressed that “the safety of American citizens abroad is our highest priority.”
L'ambassade des États-Unis à Port-au-Prince reste ouverte. L'augmentation de la violence des gangs dans le voisinage de l'ambassade américaine et de l'aéroport a conduit le Département d'État à prendre des dispositions pour le départ d'autres membres du personnel de l'ambassade.…
— U.S. Embassy Haiti (@USEmbassyHaiti) March 10, 2024
As Valuetainment previously reported, the Haitian government declared a state of emergency last week after a horde of armed gunmen stormed two of the country’s largest prisons, killing guards and releasing nearly 4,000 inmates into the streets. Chérizier—a former police officer turned gang leader who allegedly earned his nickname by setting his victims on fire—now commands a criminal army made up of members from Haiti’s more than 200 gangs, and has vowed to continue the violence until Prime Minister Henry resigns.
“If Ariel Henry doesn’t resign, if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide,” he told local media last week. By all accounts, the rifle-toting gangster is now the de facto leader of Haiti.
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
Henry took office shortly after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by a group of foreign hitmen in 2021. The prime minister has repeatedly delayed elections for his replacement citing security and logistics concerns, claiming that law and order needed to be reestablished before free elections can be held in 2025.
At the time of the prison break, Henry was returning from a trip to Kenya, where he was negotiating for a United Nations-backed police force to deploy to Haiti. This effort ultimately failed, with most nations showing little interest in pouring more resources into Haiti given the failure of past interventions. Henry is now stranded in Puerto Rico, unable to safely return to Port-au-Prince. The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, refused to grant him sanctuary and suspended all air travel into and out of Haiti.
In his absence, gangs have now seized Haiti’s only international airport, along with most of its police stations, government buildings, and shipping ports.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show gang members in Port-Au-Prince chewing on severed human fingers and tearing chunks of flesh from a charred body left in the street. These videos have not been independently verified by media sources.
In light of the chaos, the US government is considering whether to deploy a Marine Corps security team to reinforce the embassy. However, officials have given no indication that broader action will be taken to restore order to the island.
But according to Erik Prince, founder of private military contractor Blackwater, “Haiti is very fixable.”
4000+ in rotation plus 70+ fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Haiti is very fixable.
— ErikDPrince (@realErikDPrince) March 10, 2024
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
Add comment