Haiti PM denied entry into his country as gang violence continues

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has landed in Puerto Rico after apparently being unable to return to his country where armed gangs demand his resignation, BBC reports.

According to local media, he arrived in the capital San Juan on March 5 after flying from the US state of New Jersey. Ariel Henry’s plane was forced to divert to Puerto Rico - a US territory - after it was denied entry to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which on Tuesday announced it was closing its airspace with neighbouring Haiti.

For the past few days, Henry’s whereabouts had been unknown following a visit to Kenya.

Violence in Haiti has spiralled in his absence - with armed gangs trying to take over the international airport to stop him from landing. Their leader, Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, has demanded the prime minister stand down - warning that the country is headed "straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide" otherwise.

PM Ariel Henry left Haiti last week to attend a regional summit in Guyana before travelling to Kenya, where he signed a deal on the deployment of a multinational police force to Haiti.

During his absence, a coalition of gangs led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, a former police officer, went on the offensive - attacking police stations and storming two of Haiti's biggest prisons. Around 4,000 inmates were able to escape, at least 12 people were killed.

Soldiers have been deployed to defend several of the country's airports.

Ariel Henry was sworn in, unelected, after Haiti's President, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in 2021 by Colombian mercenaries.

Under a political deal, Haiti was supposed to hold elections and Henry cede power by 7 February, but that did not happen. It sparked protests as thousands took to the streets to demand he stick to the plan.