Hait’s government declared a state of emergency Sunday during a weekend of extreme violence, including the storming of the country’s two biggest prisons, allowing thousands of inmates to escape.
Police and prison staff were killed and injured in the “criminal acts,” the country’s government said in its announcement, which also included a nighttime curfew until Wednesday.
Nearly 4,000 prisoners escaped one prison, and a prison containing 1,400 prisoners was also overrun, causing “massive population displacements and consisting in particular of kidnappings and assassinations of peaceful citizens, violence against women and children, ransacking and theft of public and private property,” the government said.
Gangs have coordinated their attacks in recent days, targeting the country’s international airport, the national soccer stadium, as well as police stations, where four officers were killed on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
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As the violence escalated over the weekend, citizens hid on streets laced with debris and burning tires from gunfights between gang members and police officers. While pleading for foreign support, Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said elections need to be held soon in his country in order to bring stability.
The Biden administration has reportedly said it’s been monitoring the country’s bleak situation with grave concern. A National Security Council official reiterated the U.S.’s support for democracy and fair elections.
