Haiti is “in a state of chaos” as brutal gang members attack police officers with machetes, a journalist in Port-au-Prince has claimed.
Violence has plagued the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince for years, but the situation has escalated drastically as gangs demand that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. A state of emergency has been declared in the country after gangs attacked two prisons, setting many criminals free. It is now thought that 80% of the Haitian capital is controlled by these gangs.
Describing the violence in the country, a journalist said that cannibalism has been witnessed on the streets as the violence reaches “unprecedented” levels, reports the Express US. Speaking anonymously, they said: “Haiti is living in a total chaotic situation right now. It is total chaos everywhere, especially in the capital where I am right now.
“Haiti has a leader, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, but he is not inside the country right now. In the meantime you have gangs waging full attacks on key institutions.
“You also have attacks on police stations. The officers were in there for three hours crying for help, and after that, we saw images of officers being cut by machetes being shared on social media. The gangs are heavily armed with guns from the US, but they are also equipped with high-level technology like drones.
“The level of violence is unprecedented. The gangs seemingly want to kill as many people as they can. They are in a fear campaign where they want to appear as murderous and as violent as possible.”
After the interview, the journalist sent a message reading: “Cannibalism is not widespread, but definitely an indication of the worsening situation. It definitely happens on a few occasions.”
There’s a power struggle among gangs in Haiti, but one of the most feared figures in Port-au-Prince’s underworld is Jimmy Cherizier.
Read more at: dailystar.co.uk