Gangs attack Haiti’s biggest prison, allowing nearly 4,000 inmates to flee
Nearly all of the 4,000 prisoners held at Haiti’s largest prison fled and escaped Saturday as street gangs attacked the facility.
Fewer than 100 of the inmates held Friday in Port-au-Prince’s National Penitentiary remained behind bars Sunday, according to human rights attorney Arnel Remy, whose nonprofit works in the prison.
Among those who chose to stay were 18 former Colombian soldiers charged in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. The president’s killing kicked off the latest round of violence across Haiti, where gangs now control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince.
“Please, please help us,” one of the Colombians, Francisco Uribe, said in a video shared on social media. “They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells.”
The death toll from the prison attack remains unclear, but at least three people were seen lying dead from gunshot wounds at the prison’s entrance Sunday morning.
Gangs also attacked national government buildings, which sit near the prison, in a coordinated assault that began Saturday evening. Prime Minister Ariel Henry was not in the country at the time. He was in Kenya trying to finish a deal for a United Nations-backed Kenyan-led international police force to stabilize the chaos in Haiti.
Jimmy Cherizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang organization, said the goal of the attack was to prevent Henry’s return. He said the gangs would attempt to capture government ministers and Haiti’s National Police chief.
However, the main achievement of Saturday’s assault was the takeover of the prison and the release of thousands of prisoners, including gang leaders.
“A significant number of prisoners released” were “important members of very powerful gangs,” according to Gazette Haiti.
Criminal gangs have gained more and more control of Haiti since Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021. Haitian police have been overwhelmed and outgunned by the violent organizations.
In October 2023, the UN approved an international military force to be led by Kenya to help contain the violence. Haitian leaders including Henry had been begging for international help for months.
But in January, Kenya’s top court ruled the mission was unconstitutional. Henry had traveled to the East African nation with hopes of salvaging the deal. On Friday, he signed an agreement with Kenyan President William Ruto.
Henry did not comment when asked if he felt safe returning home following the mass prison break.