CRISIS CONTINUES

Gang Warfare Invades Wealthy Enclaves of Port-au-Prince

Bodies on the streets, armed men in backyards.

The gang warfare that has plunged Haiti into crisis erupted Monday in the wealthiest enclaves of Port-au-Prince, which had been largely shielded from the violence until now. The Miami Herald reports that at least two dozen bodies were seen on the hillside streets of the Laboule and Thomasin neighborhoods in Pétion-Ville, and armed men roamed the area—including the grounds outside the home of a powerful judge. One witness described an unprovoked attack on a crowded street: “They didn’t say anything. They just started shooting.” Another, Anthony Bennett, told the newspaper that his bodyguard was shot dead while heading to work on the back of a motorcycle. Battles between gangs, police, and vigilante militias have turned Port-au-Prince into a hellscape and forced President Ariel Henry to resign last week. The creation of a transitional presidential council is underway but has been slowed by infighting. Dozens of Americans have fled Haiti on evacuation flights in recent days as the situation has grown ever more unstable.