Written by EVENS SANON

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s main airport remained closed on Tuesday, a day after violence erupted as the country swore in its new prime minister in a politically tumultuous transition.

Life in much of the capital was frozen following the wave of violence, which came to a head when gangs shot a Spirit Airlines airplane, hitting a flight attendant and forcing the flights and airport to shut down. Heavily armed police in armored cars outside the airport checked trucks used for public transportation passing by.

Schools were closed and so were banks and government offices. Streets, where just a day before gangs and police were locked in a fierce firefight, were eerily empty, with few driving by other than a motorcycle with a man who had been shot clinging to the back.

The sounds of heavy gunfire still echoed through the streets – a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti’s elites and a strong push by the international community to restore peace, the country’s toxic slate of gangs kept its firm hold on much of the Caribbean nation.

Police officers patrol the area during an exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Photo via AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph.)

The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital of Port-au-Prince. A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

The violence comes after a transitional council, tasked with restoring democratic order to Haiti, which hasn’t held elections since 2016, decided to fire the country’s interim prime minister, Garry Conille, who in his six months in office was often at odds with the council.

Despite Conille declaring the move illegal, the council rapidly swore in businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the new interim prime minister. Fils-Aimé promised to work with international partners to restore peace and hold long awaited elections, a promise also made by his predecessor.

But many Haitians, like 43-year-old Martha Jean-Pierre, have little taste for the political fighting, which experts say only give gangs more freedom to continue expanding their control as Haiti teeters on the brink of famine.

Jean-Pierre was among those to brave the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to sell the plantains, carrots, cabbage and potatoes she carried in a basket on her head. She had no choice, she said, selling was the only way she could feed her children.

“What good is a new prime minister if there’s no security, if I can’t move freely and sell my goods,” she said, nodding to her basket of vegetables. “This is my bank account, this is what my family depend on.”

Related Stories
‹
Haiti Has 1 Million Displaced People, Mostly From Gang Violence. It’s Tripled Over the Past Year
The U.N. migration agency says internal displacement in Haiti, largely caused by gang violence, has tripled over the last year and now surpasses 1 million people — a record in the Caribbean nation.
Gangs Complicate Haiti Effort To Recover From Assassination
Written by DÁNICA COTO and EVENS SANON Gangs in Haiti have long been financed by powerful politicians and their allies — and many Haitians fear those backers may be losing control of the increasingly powerful armed groups who have driven thousands of people from their homes as they battle over territory, kill civilians and raid […]
Assassination of Charlie Kirk Adds to America’s Roll Call of Public Violence
Written by LISA MASCARO and ALI SWENSON WASHINGTON (AP) — In the tragic roll call of violence in American public life, Charlie Kirk’s name joins what has fast become a long list. The influential 31-year old commentator, who cast his young professional life rousing other young people to embrace or debate his brand of conservatism, was slain doing what he does […]
Shunned for Centuries, Vodou Grows Powerful as Haitians Seek Solace From Unrelenting Gang Violence
Written by DÁNICA COTO The Vodou faithful sing, their voices rising above the gunfire erupting miles away as frantic drumbeats drown out their troubles. They pause to swig rum out of small brown bottles, twirling in unison as they sing in Haitian Creole: “We don’t care if they hate us, because they can’t bury us.” […]
In Haiti, The Difficult Relationship of Gangs and Business
Written by ALBERTO ARCE and RODRIGO ABD Youri Mevs knew that the call was coming, and she was terrified. Mevs is a member of one of the richest families in Haiti; she owns Shodecosa, Haiti’s largest industrial park, which warehouses 93 percent of the nation’s imported food. Like everyone else, she has watched with despair […]
On Air Today: Fighting Gun Violence, Promoting Gun Safety
This Friday, June 5, is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and local advocates are taking the opportunity to share firearm safety tips.
Somalia Is in a Deadly Drought Again. Most Humanitarian Aid Isn’t There This Time
Yet another drought is affecting millions of people across Somalia as it feels climate shocks. Cuts to aid are compounding the crisis.
Shots Fired as Gunman Charges Toward Ballroom at White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Trump Unharmed
A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday.
After Shooting at Vehicle in Pittsboro, Wilmington Man Faces Road Rage Charges
A road rage incident along the U.S. Highway 64 bypass in Pittsboro on Thursday led to one man charged, according to the sheriff's office.
Viewpoints: The Echo of 20 Seconds
Faith West writes that on Tuesday, everything changed for the Carrboro High School community after hearing gunfire outside.
›