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☆ Canada deploys military aircraft over Haiti to disrupt gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Sunday it deployed a military aircraft over Haiti to address what it called a "dire security situation" and to support efforts to disrupt the activities of Haitian gangs. The resulting violence has left much of the country off-limits to the government and led to routine gun battles with police. Haiti is expected to be on the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden visits Canada next month. The Canadian patrol aircraft will provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability to bolster efforts to establish and maintain peace and will remain in the region "for a number of days," the Canadian government said. Around seven in 10 people in Haiti back proposed creation of an international force to help the national police fight violence from armed gangs, according to a survey carried out in January.

☆ Jamaica willing to take part in military intervention in Haiti, PM says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoKINGSTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Jamaica would be willing to take part in an international military deployment to Haiti, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told lawmakers on Tuesday, saying the Caribbean island country could also support its neighbor on electoral reforms. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has pleaded for foreign military support. The U.N. envoy to Haiti, Helen La Lime, has called for more urgency, saying the police cannot win without outside support. "Jamaica would be willing to participate in a multinational security assistance deployment to Haiti under the appropriate jurisdictional parameters to support a return to a reasonable level of stability and peace," Holness told lawmakers.

☆ Haitians in the U.S. feel pressure to sponsor friends, family back home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Many people unfortunately are not in a position to sponsor family members or friends back home, but they are receiving calls nonstop." She said her clients have described being expected to sponsor entire extended families and in some cases face threats. "I would say it's also a program that will place undue stress on families and cause family divisions." "People will say 'I have more than one cousin I would like to sponsor, I'm only able to sponsor one of them,'" Jozef said. She is also opposed to the expulsions of Haitians and other migrants arriving at the southwest border, many who are seeking U.S. asylum.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Haitian police officers on Thursday blocked streets and forced their way into the country's main airport to protest the recent killing of officers by armed gangs expanding their grip on the Caribbean nation. "PM is still at the Airport, unable to leave for now," said the source, who asked not to be identified. Haiti's National Police and the Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Roads around Port-au-Prince and in several cities to the north were blocked by protesters. The proposal was originally made three months ago but no country has offered to lead such a force.

☆ Canada freezes assets of three Haitian businessmen over gang links
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sanctions target Gilbert Bigio, chairman of Haitian industrial conglomerate GB Group, as well as prominent business leaders Reynold Deeb and Sherif Abdallah, the government said. GB Group and the office of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on a current and a former Haitian senator, accusing the two politicians of engaging in drug trafficking activities. Policymakers in the United States and Canada have this year been increasingly vocal in discussing alleged links between gangs and economic elites. Two U.S. lawmakers in September said the United States should sanction Haitian gang leaders and the "warlords" who finance them.

☆ Haiti still needs foreign strike force to confront gangs, official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ralph Tedy ErolWASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The international community should send a strike force to Haiti to confront gangs even though police have ended a blockade of a fuel terminal that caused a humanitarian crisis, Haiti's ambassador to the United States said on Monday. The U.N. Security Council in October discussed sending troops to confront gangs, but those proposals have received little attention since police took back control of the Varreux terminal in November. "If you don't have an international presence to help confront the armed gangs, the situation will become even more dire," he warned. Such a force should support the police, and troops should be provided by what he called a "coalition of the willing for Haiti," Edmond said. Barbecue on Nov 6 said workers could return to the terminal, and fuel distribution has slowly resumed since then.

☆ Canada imposes new sanctions on Haitian politicians - statement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Canada on Friday imposed sanctions on three Haitian politicians, including a former president of the country's Chamber of Deputies, with Ottawa accusing them of aiding gang leaders and laundering their illicit earnings, according to a statement. "These individuals are using their status as current or previous public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption," the statement said. "Today's sanctions are intended to stop the flow of illicit funds and weapons and to weaken and disable Haiti's criminal gangs," said the statement, issued by the foreign ministry. The sanctions will freeze any assets held in Canada by Senator Ronny Célestin, Former Senator Hervé Fourcand, and Former President of the Chamber of Deputies Gary Bodeau, a foreign ministry spokesperson said. The sanctions, which implement a U.N. Security Council resolution and build on earlier actions imposed by the United States and Canada, aim to stop the illegal flow of money and weapons into Haiti that help criminal gangs, the ministry said.

☆ Dominican Republic steps up Haitian deportations, raising tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Dominican Republic is stepping up deportations of Haitians and is creating a police unit focused on foreigners, fueling tensions between the two Caribbean nations whose relations have for decades been marred by migration disputes. "Prime Minister Ariel Henry is very concerned about the mass deportations that are taking place in the Dominican Republic," said Jean-Junior Joseph, a spokesperson for the prime minister's office, in a statement on Wednesday. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Nov. 10 called on the Dominican Republic to halt deportations of Haitians, citing violence and systematic human rights violations in their home country. Abinader in comments broadcast by Dominican media described Turk's comments as "unacceptable and irresponsible," saying that the Dominican Republic did not have resources to help more Haitians and adding that authorities would boost deportations. Jean Bonheur Delva, head of the National Migration Office, told local media on Tuesday the figure was around 50,000 in the last three months.

☆ Haiti gang leader says fuel distribution can resume as blockade ends
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Haitian gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier said on Sunday that fuel trucks can approach the Varreux terminal without fear for their safety, days after police broke up a blockade that had halted fuel distribution for nearly two months. "Once again, the drivers and employees of the Varreux terminal can come down without fear," Cherizier said in a video circulating online. Haiti's police on Friday said they had retaken control of the terminal after confronting the gangs in the area. The fuel shortages halted most economic activity and forced hospitals and businesses to scale back operations sharply or shut their doors, just as the country suffered an outbreak of cholera. Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Brian Ellsworth in Caracas; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Haitians hope for fuel supplies after police break up gang blockade at terminal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Haitians on Saturday hoped for a quick return of fuel supplies after police broke up a gang blockade that for two months had left the economy without gasoline or diesel and triggered a humanitarian crisis. Haiti's National Police said in a statement late on Friday that it took back control of the Varreux fuel terminal, where the G9 gang coalition had dug trenches and set up barricades to prevent fuel distribution. "We don't know exactly when fuel deliveries will begin," said one source with knowledge of the situation. The gasoline and diesel shortages had halted almost all economic activity, including in transportation and hospitals, and forced many local business owners to shut operations. Reporting by Brian Ellsworth in Sao Paulo and Harold Isaac in Port-au-PrinceOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File PhotoNov 4 (Reuters) - The United States and Canada on Friday imposed sanctions on two Haitian politicians, including the president of the country's Senate, as Washington accused them of abusing their positions to traffic drugs and collaborate with gang networks in the country. The sanctions target Haitian Senate President Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue, who served as president of the chamber from 2017-2018, the U.S. Treasury Department and Canada's foreign ministry said in separate statements. The sanctions essentially freeze any assets Lambert and Latortue may hold in the United States or Canada and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Lambert, Latortue and Prime Minister Ariel Henry's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Canada and the United States did not identify which Haitian gangs it believed were tied to the officials.

☆ As U.N. mulls sending troops to Haiti, a gang's rise shows how hard that would be
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Petithomme goes by the alias Ti Makak, and leads a gang of the same name. Haiti's National Police did not respond to requests for comment on the police commissary incident or about Ti Makak in general. Local media reported that Ti Makak was responsible. But the calls continued, he said, and a group later arrived in person, saying they were linked to Ti Makak. "We can easily conclude that the Ti Makak band seeks to win the hearts of the people, particularly of those people who have been involved in acts of looting during recent protests," Germain said.

☆ High-profile Haitian politician killed in apparent gang attack, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A well-known Haitian politician was killed in an apparent gang attack in an affluent suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince, Haitian media reported on Saturday, amid a gang blockade of a fuel terminal that has created a humanitarian crisis. It was not immediately evident who was responsible for the attack. Laboule 12 is now increasingly under the control of a gang called Ti Makak, which in recent years has risen from obscurity to become a powerful criminal group involved in extortion and kidnappings. The murder follows the August assassination of former Haitian senator Yvon Buissereth in the same area, a crime that one state official attributed to Ti Makak. Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Brian Ellsworth in Sao Paulo; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan temporarily closes Haiti embassy as security worsens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Japan has temporarily closed its embassy in Haiti due to the worsening security and humanitarian situation, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Monday. Haiti is facing acute fuel shortages due to a blockade by a coalition of gangs that are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, with economic activity coming to a halt and many hospitals forced to close or curtail their operations. It is unclear how soon the embassy will reopen, a ministry official said. Japan has been urging its citizens not to travel to Haiti for any reason and for nationals who already there to leave the country immediately. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: What's driving Haiti's humanitarian crisis?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A man looks for food through piles of trash on the side of a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoOct 18 (Reuters) - Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, fuel and water causing catastrophic hunger, and the government pleading for military assistance from abroad. The trigger for the current crisis is the blockade of a key fuel terminal by armed gangs that began in September. The G9 on Sept. 12 dug trenches outside the main entrance of the Varreux fuel terminal to protest an announcement by Prime Minister Ariel Henry that the government was cutting fuel subsidies. The fuel shortages have halted most economic activities.

☆ Haiti gang blockade is causing catastrophic hunger, U.N. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have for the first time a famine present in Haiti," Ulrika Richardson, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the U.N. system in Haiti, said in a telephone interview. A U.N. spokesperson later clarified that Richardson should have described the situation as catastrophic hunger rather than famine. Richardson said other countries need to do more to support Haiti, as the Caribbean country's humanitarian response plan for this year has received less then 30% of the required funding. The situation was "close to breaking point", Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Program country director in Haiti, told reporters earlier. U.S. development agency USAID on Friday sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Haiti, the agency's chief, Samantha Power, wrote on Twitter.

Haitian gangs have for a month prevented the distribution of diesel and gasoline, crippling businesses and hospitals and creating shortages of basic goods including water just as the country is struggling with a new outbreak of cholera. The State Department has created a new visa restriction policy targeting those who support the gangs and has sent a Coast Guard vessel to patrol Haitian waters. Sporadic looting and gun battles between gangs and police have become increasingly common in recent weeks as the shortages have led to mounting desperation. Another Biden administration official during the phone briefing said the travel bans were meant to hold accountable those who are linked to the gangs. "Our intent in doing so is to demonstrate that there are consequences for those who fund and foment violence in Haiti," the official said.

☆ Haiti activists rally at White House seeking end of U.S. support for Henry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A woman holds a sign at a rally outside the White House asking the Biden administration to stop supporting Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Washington, U.S. October 9, 2022 in this picture obtained by Reuters. Gordon Whitman/via REUTERSOct 9 (Reuters) - Activists on Sunday rallied at the White House to call on the Biden administration to end support for the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as the Caribbean nation faces a humanitarian crisis due to gangs blocking the distribution of fuel. A broadcast of the rally showed several hundred people gathered outside the White House, holding signs bearing Haiti's flag or with messages including "Let Haitians decide their own future." The Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to change its stance with respect to Henry. U.S. Representative Val Demings last week introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, which calls for a new federal investigation into those who support Haitian gangs.

☆ Haiti looting caused loss of some $6 million in relief supplies, WFP says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 26 (Reuters) - Looting in Haiti this month led to the loss of at least $6 million of relief assistance including 2,000 tonnes of food, a World Food Programme official said on Monday, as the Caribbean nation struggles with civil unrest and chronic gang violence. Protests flared across Haiti following Prime Minister Ariel Henry's Sept. 11 announcement of a fuel price increase, triggering protests and street violence that included the sacking of WFP warehouses. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We estimate that at least six million dollars worth of relief supplies were lost," said Guarnieri, adding that the looting affected other non-profit organizations and UN agencies. Haiti's government this month moved to cut fuel subsidies, citing their high cost, triggering outrage in a nation already struggling with record-high inflation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Noi detalii privind asasinarea președintelui din Haiti. Poliție: A fost un comando de 28 de atacatori
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +3 min

Ea a fost transportată în Florida pentru tratament, unde se află într-o stare stabilă. Nu este încă clar cine a planificat atacul sau care a fost cauza lui. Adevărul a ieșit la iveală abia când s-a făcut zi, când președintele a fost găsit mort. Corpul președintelui a avut 12 răni de glonț, a declarat magistratul Carl Henry Destin pentru ziarul Le Nouvelliste. Biroul și dormitorul lui au fost jefuite, iar el a fost găsit întins pe spate, acoperit de sânge, a spus magistratul.

Persons: haitian, Moise, Léon Charles, Moise . Ea, Claude Joseph, Ariel Henry, Henry, ONU, Carl Henry Destin Organizations: BBC Locations: Haiti, ţării, Port, Florida

☆ Noi informații despre asasinarea președintelui din Haiti; A fost un comando de 28 de atacatori, Moise avea 12 răni de glonț
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-09 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaNoi informații despre asasinarea președintelui din Haiti; A fost un comando de 28 de atacatori, Moise avea 12 răni de glonțGrupul de comando responsabil de asasinarea preşedintelui haitian Jovenel Moise era format din 26 de columbieni şi doi americani originari din Haiti, a declarat poliţia haitiană. Jovenel Moise avea 12 răni de glonț când a fost găsit. Nu este încă clar cine a planificat atacul sau care a fost cauza lui. Minciuna a fost credibilă, având în vedere ce probleme sunt în țară cu traficanții de droguri. Adevărul a ieșit la iveală abia când s-a făcut zi, când președintele a fost găsit mort.

Persons: Moise, haitian, Léon Charles, Moise . Ea, Claude Joseph, Ariel Henry, Henry, ONU Organizations: BBC Locations: Haiti, ţării, Port, Florida

Jovenel Moïse a fost împușcat de asasinii care au intrat în reședință, marți și care „vorbeau spaniolă”. Potrivit unor surse locale, și Prima Doamnă a fost rănită în atac. Potrivit, digi24.ro moartea sa a avut loc la câteva ore după numirea marți a prim-ministrului Ariel Henry. Moïse era președinte în Haiti, cea mai săracă țară din America, printr-un decret, după ce alegerile legislative din 2018 au fost amânate și în urma disputelor cu privire la sfârșitul mandatului său. Consiliul de Securitate al Națiunilor Unite, SUA și Europa au cerut alegeri legislative și prezidențiale libere și transparente care să aibă loc în Haiti până la sfârșitul anului 2021.

Persons: Jovenel Moïse, Prima, digi24, Ariel Henry, Moïse Organizations: Securitate al Națiunilor Unite Locations: Haiti, America, SUA, Europa

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