Hundreds of inmates escape in mass jailbreak in Haiti

HUNDREDS of inmates have escaped from Haiti’s main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility in an overnight explosion of violence that engulfed much of the capital. At least five people were dead by yesterday.

The jailbreak marked a new low in Haiti’s downward spiral of violence as gangs step up co-ordinated attacks in Port-au-prince. Ariel Henry, the embattled prime minister, is abroad trying to salvage support for a Un-backed security force to stabilise the country.

Three bodies with gunshot wounds were found at the prison entrance, which was wide open yesterday with no guards in sight. Several gang leaders were being held at the facility.

Authorities had yet to provide an account of events. But Arnel Remy, a human rights attorney whose nonprofit organisation works in the prison, said on X, formerly Twitter, that fewer than 100 of the almost 4,000 inmates remained behind bars.

Those who stayed included 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of working as mercenaries in the July 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse, the Haitian president. On Saturday night, several of them shared a video on social media pleading for their lives. One of the men, Francisco Uribe, said: “They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells.” Yesterday, he said: “I didn’t flee because I’m innocent.”

The violence appeared to be widespread, with several neighbourhoods reporting gunfire. There were reports of a second jailbreak at a smaller Portau-prince prison containing about 1,400 inmates. Gangs also occupied and vandalised Haiti’s top soccer stadium, taking one employee hostage for hours, the nation’s soccer federation said.

Gangs are increasingly co-ordinating their actions and choosing once unthinkable targets. After gunmen opened fire at the international airport last week, the US embassy temporarily halted official travel to Haiti.

Jimmy Chérizier, a former police officer known as Barbecue who runs a gang federation, has claimed responsibility for the surge in attacks. He said the goal was to capture the police chief and government ministers and prevent Mr Henry’s return from overseas.

4,000 The number of inmates in Haiti’s main prison. A lawyer who worked in the jail claimed that fewer than 100 remain