Haiti president breaks silence after violent unrest
PORT-AU- PRINCE: Haitian President Jovenel Moise on Thursday broke his silence after a week of violent protests demanding his resignation as the US announced it was pulling ‘nonemergency personnel’ from the country over the deadly unrest.
“I will not leave the country in the hands of armed gangs and drug traffickers,” Moise said in a pre-recorded address broadcast on state television, speaking in Creole in the aftermath of clashes between authorities and demonstrators in the capital Portau-Prince.
Since Feb 7, at least seven people have died as Haiti has been plunged into political crisis, with everyday life paralysed by protests and barricades in the largest towns.
The protesters, angry about skyrocketing inflation and the alleged theft of nearly US$ 2 billion in Venezuelan oil relief to the island, are demanding Moise’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the US announced it was removing ‘non- emergency personnel’ from the country on Thursday, the same day that Canada said it was temporarily shuttering its embassy.
“There are currently widespread, violent, and unpredictable demonstrations in Port- au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti. Due to these demonstrations, on Feb 14, the Department of State ordered the departure of all nonemergency US personnel and their family members,” it said in a statement. — AFP