Americans Evacuated from Haiti as Prime Minister Remains Locked Out of His Country

(DailyDig.com) – On March 10, the US military evacuated nonessential personnel from the US Embassy in Haiti. Additional troops flew in to secure the embassy compound in Port-au-Prince.

Personnel are airlifted from the US Embassy whenever security is needed. There were no Haitians on board, according to the US Southern Command.

The most powerful leader of the gang known as G9 and Family and Allies, Jimmy Chérizier, aka “Barbecue,” has basically taken control of the country. After the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Ariel Henry assumed the role of prime minister. According to news reports, the current unrest in Haiti increased at that time.

Experts claim that Chérizier is a complicated character. Before he became a notorious gang boss, he was a national police officer. He was fired in 2018 due to accusations of criminal violence and murder that marred his career in the police department, according to officials.

He claimed innocence, but the UN and the US have sanctioned him for his many crimes. Louis-Henri Mars, the director of Lakou Lapè, a non-profit in Haiti, stated that Chérizier is a businessman involved in criminal activity. He said that in 2020, Chérizier promised to end the assaults in Port-au-Prince, but the violence continued. He claims that the gang boss is charismatic and seems reasonable, but his violence is constantly ready to erupt.

Chérizier stated to his supporters that they were going to cause chaos until Henry resigned, as he said he would by February. Henry was unable to come home from Puerto Rico, where he arrived to ask for UN help in controlling the violence. According to US officials, Henry was unsuccessful in his first request last January to secure help from the UN.

The government of Haiti has declared an emergency as gangs have coalesced under Chérizier, attacking government buildings including police, the Presidential Palace, and the Interior Ministry beginning on March 8. The deterioration of order in Haiti has civilians fearing for their lives, as stated by a source in law enforcement.