Haiti’s capital residents fight the latest gang onslaught with police

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Early on Tuesday, gangs began a new assault on the capital of Haiti, focusing on a wealthy neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, where people engaged in combat with police.

The Viv Ansanm organization was responsible for the attack on Pétionville. Jimmy Chérizier, a former special police officer, had revealed the plan in a social media video.

Lionel Lazarre, the deputy spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, reported the confiscation of hundreds of explosives and the death of at least 28 alleged gang members.

Given that Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, had declared plans to assault Pétionville, it was not immediately apparent if police had planned for the attack or attempted to safeguard it in advance. Lazarre did not reply to a message seeking a response.

Residents were infuriated by yet another gang attack on their neighborhood, witnesses told The Associated Press. Witnesses reported that gang members piled up and burned victims, while some alleged shooters had their heads chopped off or their feet severed.

When two trucks carrying alleged gang members pulled into Pétionville, the dawn onslaught started. One of the trucks blocked the community’s main entrance.