Five members of an environmental protection group lost their lives in clashes with law enforcement close to the Haitian capital on Wednesday.
The nation has been rocked by violent protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Since Monday, unrest has gripped Haiti, with crowds in Port-au-Prince and other areas insisting on Henry’s removal, following a political agreement from 2022.
A source from the police informed AFP that the five members of the National Agency for Protected Areas, now in open rebellion, were fatally shot after refusing to disarm and exchanging fire with the police.
Three other agency members were taken into custody.
According to a pact made in December 2022 after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Henry was supposed to organize elections and transfer power to newly elected officials by February 7, 2024.
However, Henry clung to power, expressing his intention to establish a government of national unity.
“This Wednesday is D-Day.
It’s the day when Ariel Henry must leave office,” shared a motorcycle taxi driver participating in the protests, speaking to AFP anonymously.
“I hope he will listen to reason. Otherwise, the voice of the people will be listened to,” the protester added.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has been plagued by turmoil for years, with armed gangs controlling swathes of territory, causing widespread violence and crippling the economy and healthcare system.
The assassination of Moise in 2021 exacerbated the chaos, with no elections held since 2016 and the presidency vacant.
Another protester, a 40-year-old unemployed individual who chose not to reveal their identity, criticized Henry for failing to address the nation’s problems.
“The country is being held hostage by gangs.
We can’t eat. We can’t send our children to school,” they lamented.
“We can’t take it anymore.”
The protests have been organized by various opposition parties and supported by staff from the environmental agency.
February 7 holds significance for Haitians, marking the anniversary of the end of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986.
Reports from local media indicated an attack on a police station in the northeastern province of Ouanaminthe on Tuesday evening.
Major roads and schools have been shuttered nationwide since Monday.
The Dominican Republic, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, announced on Wednesday it was bolstering border security due to the ongoing violence.
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