At least 3,600 prisoners, representing 97% of the prison population, escaped from the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after an attack by criminal gangs on Saturday night. The attack occurred after the leader of a prominent gang, Jimmy Chérisier, alias “Barbecue”will announce a “revolution” against the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The gangs set fire to the outskirts of the prison and used drones to facilitate the escape of the inmates.
Union 17 of the Haitian National Police requested reinforcements through social networks, warning about the possibility that the prisoners’ escape could unleash even greater chaos in the capital. It is estimated that the majority of inmates are already on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
Among the escapees are some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, including former gang leaders and the 18 Colombians accused of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
The massive escape of prisoners represents a serious setback for security in Haiti, a country already plagued by violence and political crisis. The government faces a huge challenge to recapture the fugitives and restore order in the capital.
Haitian authorities have called on the international community to help contain the crisis, including sending a security force to restore order and control the violence.
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