A state of emergency has been declared in Haiti after violence in the capital led to the escape of two prisoners while a major gang leader tries to oust the prime minister.
The government decree follows a significant escalation in clashes over the weekend, which left parts of Port-au-Prince paralyzed and communications temporarily cut off.
Heavy gunfire has caused panic in recent days after calls by gang leader Jamie Scherizer, a former police officer, for criminal groups to unite and oust Ariel Henry.
In an attempt to restore order, a curfew will be in place from 6pm to 5am daily until Wednesday, and could be extended for another 72 hours.
Armed groups attacked The country The largest prison on Saturday night, in defiance of police forces who requested assistance.
On Sunday, there was no sign of police officers at the National Prison and the main prison doors remained open.
An unnamed prisoner told Reuters news agency: “I am the only one left in my cell.” “We were sleeping when we heard the sound of bullets. The cell barriers were broken.”
The National Prison following violent clashes on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
A man calls on protesters to stop on Friday. Photo: Reuters
It is not clear how many prisoners escaped, but sources close to the institution say that the majority are likely to be “overwhelming.”
The prison was built to accommodate 700 prisoners, but it housed 3,687 prisoners as of February last year, according to the human rights organization RNDDH.
A volunteer worker at the prison said on Sunday that 99 prisoners chose to remain in their cells for fear of being killed in the exchange of fire.
The bodies of three prisoners who tried to escape He was lying dead in the prison yard on SundayWhile two bodies with their hands tied behind their backs were lying face down in another neighborhood.
Among those who remain in prison are 18 former Colombian soldiers who were jailed for their alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Mr. Henry's predecessor.
Colombian inmates open a gate inside the prison. Photo: AP
A police officer is targeted amid clashes. Photo: AP
“Please, please help us,” Francisco Uribe, one of the men, said in the message that was widely circulated on social media. “They randomly slaughter people inside the cells.”
“I did not escape because I am innocent,” Uribe told reporters Sunday who entered the normally heavily guarded facility.
Scherizer had warned local residents earlier this week against preventing children from going to school to “avoid collateral damage” as violence escalates while the Prime Minister seeks support abroad.
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Nearly 15,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in recent days, according to the United Nations' International Organization for Migration.
Prime Minister Henry, who came to power in 2021 after Moise's assassination, had previously pledged to step down by early February.
He later said that security must first be re-established to ensure free and fair elections.
