The Biden administration is now ringing warning bells about a worsening security situation in Haiti as armed gangs expand their attacks on vital infrastructure.
On Sunday, they targeted the police academy following previous assaults on two prisons and the port.
In a dramatic escalation of violence in a dire security environment that has paralyzed the Caribbean nation since the assassination of its president in 2021, gangs have already seized control of several police substations and are now threatening to take over the presidential palace.
On Sunday evening, the Finance Minister and Acting Prime Minister of Haiti, Michel Patrick Boisvert, announced a curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a state of emergency for the next 72 hours in an effort to restore security.
Both enable law enforcement to apprehend perpetrators across the entire jurisdiction that encompasses metropolitan Port-au-Prince.
The civil unrest led to an urgent security alert to U.S. citizens from the State Department on Sunday and caused American Airlines to suspend its daily flight out of Miami International Airport into Port-au-Prince, according to spokeswoman Laura Masvidal as reported by the Miami Herald.
The airline will be halting its daily flight on Monday.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a security alert to U.S. citizens, advising them to exercise extreme caution and announcing limited operations on Monday.
The increase in violence, along with heavy automatic gunfire throughout Port-au-Prince, is causing worries about the government’s ability to maintain order in the nation.
Armed gangs utilized drone technology to take over the National Penitentiary on Saturday, facilitating the escape of numerous prisoners, including high-profile gang leaders.
Violent groups targeted the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, disrupted cell phone services in certain areas of the capital by damaging fiber optic lines, and disabled the power supply to the port following an earlier attack on a power plant.
There were also threats of gangs attempting to seize control of the National Palace.
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