Haiti politician shot dead, as violent gangs and political turmoil push country to the ‘edge of collapse’
CNN
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One Haitian The politician was shot dead outside his home, authorities said, as international concern grew about the gang violence, political turmoil and humanitarian crisis it caused. control of the country.
Eric Jean Baptiste was killed Friday night outside his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince, local police told CNN.
He is the leader of the National Progressive Democratic Party (RNDP), a small political party in Haiti, and launched a long presidential run in 2016.
A police spokesman said a security guard was also killed in the attack. Baptiste survived an earlier attempt in her life in 2018, escaping with a bullet wound.
The assassination is the latest murder in a country overtaken by violent gangs, and comes a year after the murder. Serving President of the Nation Jovenel Moise was murdered. Port-au-Prince was the site of brutal gang battles this summer that saw entire neighborhoods go up in flames, displaced thousands of families and locked others in their homes. them, afraid to leave even in search of food and water.
The number of Haitians displaced by recent gang-related violence in the capital has tripled in the past five months, said the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM report said more than 113,000 people were internally displaced from Port-au-Prince between June and August this year, with nearly 90,000 of them due to “urban violence related to conflicts”. between gangs, gang police and society”.
Crime still controls or affects parts of the country’s most populous city, and kidnappings for ransom threaten the daily movements of residents. In recent weeks, protesters in several cities have called for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down due to soaring fuel prices, soaring inflation and unchecked crime.
Earlier this month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned what he called the “absolutely appalling situation” in Haiti with gangs blocking the passage of fuel and other materials in the port of Port-au. -Prince. The country is facing a humanitarian crisis, while a cholera outbreak has also left dozens dead.
Haitian Ambassador to the United States Bocchit Edmond told CNN on Friday that the government would call for democratic elections if the international community intervened with military support in the country.
“It is very important that all Haitians work together…and while we are getting help from our international partners, we are making sure to prepare for democratic elections. free and fair. Because that’s the most important thing… for democratic institutions to stand up again,” said Edmond, describing Haiti as a country “on the verge of collapse”.
“Before we move to the election, we need to restore law and order. And our national police themselves cannot… because the gangs are well equipped and their firepower is far superior… we need international support,” the diplomat recently told CNN. Sara Sidner.
