Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Haiti’s National Police came under intense scrutiny Thursday as journalists questioned why authorities failed to stop a deadly gang raid that left 47 people dead and more than 50 kidnapped in the farming community of Kenscoff.
Police spokesperson Garry Desrosiers answered only a few questions at a press conference, refusing to disclose any plans for the hostages. “We cannot talk about any plans,” he said.
Escalating violence and displacement
The attack, which occurred late Sunday, has driven more than 2,600 people from their homes, according to the U.N. International Organization for Migration. Desrosiers said police are working to help displaced families return, but offered no specifics.
When asked whether any intelligence had been gathered before the assault, Desrosiers said authorities are still collecting information. He also warned that a gang leader has threatened to attack Tabarre, a Port-au-Prince neighborhood that houses the U.S. embassy, if police kill any gang members.
Police leadership absent
Vladimir Paraison, head of Haiti’s National Police, was not present. He previously defended security measures in Kenscoff and said an investigation is underway to determine whether the attack resulted from complicity or negligence.
Data from the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location & Event Data show that security operations had reduced violence in Kenscoff by 66% between January and August, prior to the latest surge.
U.S. deportations continue amid crisis
Amid the turmoil, the United States deported dozens of individuals to Haiti on Thursday. Among them was professional boxer Jay Dabelus, who said he was born in the Bahamas and has lived in the United States for over 20 years.
The flight landed in Cap-Haïtien because Port-au-Prince’s main airport is deemed unsafe. More than 50 deportees, including two young children, arrived, according to Kerlande Desauguste of Haiti’s National Office of Migration.
Guerline Jozef, executive director of the U.S.-based Haitian Bridge Alliance, expressed deep concern for the safety of Haitians being returned to a country where the government cannot guarantee protection.
Wider impact of gang rule
Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, with over 3,050 killings reported from January to June, per U.N. statistics. Armed groups now control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and large swaths of central Haiti, worsening poverty and hunger.
Associated Press reporter Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
