Sunday, August 16, 2026

Armed gangs prevent Haiti’s leader from entering country amid pressure to resign

Finally, Mr Henry was allowed to enter Puerto.

• March 7, 2024
Armed gangs (Credit: Reuters) and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry (Credit: Financial Times)
Armed gangs (Credit: Reuters) and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry (Credit: Financial Times)

A group of armed gangs that recently closed the country’s main international airport and freed more than 4,000 inmates are alleged to have blocked Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country, causing increased tension among its citizens. 

Mr Henry had travelled to Kenya to finalise a deal that would enable at least 1,000 armed police officers of the African nation to move to Haiti to secure the vastly lawless American country.

For a while, the Haitian prime minister was unknown until media reports that following attacks on prisons and the main airport in Haiti, Mr Henry’s aircraft decided to land in the Dominican Republic, but he was turned down.

Finally, Mr Henry was allowed to enter Puerto Rico, where he currently watches as Haiti’s violence continues to spiral.

Mr Henry, 74, appears to face an impasse as several officials call for his resignation.

Among those calling for his resignation are gangs fighting for control of politics and Haitians fed up with the fact that there haven’t been general elections in almost 10 years. 

Mr Henry’s emergency as the prime minister did not follow any laid-down procedures in the Haitian constitution.

A former police chief appeared to be leading a horde of armed gangs against the continued stay of the prime minister in office.

Following the violent attack on Haiti’s main prison Saturday night by armed gangs, the Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday.

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