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Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Heavily armed gangs tried to seize control of Haiti’s main international airport on Monday, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the latest attack on key government sites in an explosion of violence that includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons.

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport was closed when the attack occurred, with no planes operating and no passengers on site.

Associated Press journalists saw an armored truck on the tarmac shooting at gangs to try and prevent them from entering airport grounds as scores of employees and other workers fled from whizzing bullets.

It wasn’t immediately clear as of late Monday whether the attack, which was the biggest one in Haiti’s history involving the airport, was successful.

Last week, the airport was struck briefly by bullets amid ongoing gang attacks, but gangs did not enter the airport nor seize control of it.

The attack occurred just hours after authorities in Haiti ordered a nighttime curfew following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend.

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

Heavily armed gangs tried to seize control of Haiti’s main international airport on Monday, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the latest attack on key government sites in an explosion of violence that includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons.

This really sounds like something I would read in a video game, not real life. And yet, here I am… Reading it in real life.

shani66 ,

Reality has really lost all verisimilitude as of late. Hell i should ask my local Walmart if they need a runner for anything at this point.

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

“Yes yes, I’ve upgraded my brain storage device. Just download it already so I can finish this job and get my childhood memories back.”

Evilcoleslaw ,

Was Kenya still going to intervene with police forces? There needs to be some effort to stabilize Haiti, but the last thing it needs is another direct US intervention.

harderian729 ,

deleted_by_moderator

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    Evilcoleslaw ,

    No, it’s more that every time the US intervenes it results in an even worse clusterfuck.

    harderian729 ,

    Then how come the US is allowed to intervene in white nations without backlash?

    Jakeroxs ,

    Why are you turning this into a racial thing? I think the prevalining thought is the US not only shouldn’t act as the world police, but we also have a history of being extremely terrible at it and only really looking out for how the US can benefit, often by setting up corruption in the government.

    harderian729 ,

    I think the prevalining thought is the US not only shouldn’t act as the world police

    Unless it’s helping Ukraine or Israel.

    Jakeroxs ,

    Slightly different meddling in a countries internal affairs vs helping prevent an invasion from an outside force. Still not great though, also there’s a lot of disagreement about Isreal in the US.

    harderian729 ,

    Please don’t pretend the situation would be any different if Haiti was being invaded by the Dominican Republic.

    Jakeroxs ,

    Depends, are we backing the Dominican republic? Lmao

    Stamau123 OP ,

    I believe that was blocked by an internal Kenyan court

    harderian729 ,

    Got my comment removed for satirically saying “Haha, black people need to solve their own problems xD”

    Stay censored, lemmy!

    FilthyHookerSpit ,

    “satirically”

    harderian729 ,

    Yes. You should look up what satire means if that confuses you.

    Pohl ,

    I really don’t have a deep knowledge of what is going on here but I am curious about the language we are using. Why “gangs” and not “rebels” or something similar? Seems like these groups are attempting to wrest control of the state. Anybody who has a richer perspective want to help me understand it better?

    TropicalDingdong ,

    I watched a video from some of their leaders yesterday. They definitely seemed to want to present themselves as a form of paramilitary/ revolutionary faction.

    Linkerbaan , (edited )
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    They’re trying to overthrow the American backed government which assassinated the previous president.

    And we don’t like that so they’re a gang not a revolution movement.

    youtu.be/OxrSZtLk7vU

    Buelldozer ,
    @Buelldozer@lemmy.today avatar

    Meh, Jovenel Moïse’s Government was arguably illegal before he was assassinated. It doesn’t matter anyway because these gangs were running rampant WHILE he was still President so his death didn’t have a damn thing to do with it.

    npr.org/…/even-before-jovenel-moises-assassinatio…

    Linkerbaan ,
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    The clear relation between the US and the assassination is not really mentioned there, though some past imperialism has

    The U.S. has sent in the Marines twice in the past three decades to restore order, under President Bill Clinton and then again under President George W. Bush.

    When Clinton and Bush are on the case of “restoring order” we can rest assured that no sketchy business took place.

    This article gives some background on the assasination

    Former Ambassador on Haitian President in March: “Put Him Aside” and Embrace “Prime Minister Option”

    In mid-September, the Haitian prosecutor revealed the allegations about Henry’s role in the assassination. Henry urged the prosecutor’s boss to fire him; when he refused, Henry fired them both. Less than two weeks later, with the U.S. standing behind Henry, Daniel Foote, the U.S. envoy to Haiti, resigned in protest, citing in part the American willingness to back Henry. In late September, Henry dutifully dissolved the CEP.

    Buelldozer ,
    @Buelldozer@lemmy.today avatar

    I’m countering the false narrative that this is happening because of the assassination of Jovenel Moïse. It clearly isn’t.

    That doesn’t make the US blameless it just means the previously stated cause isn’t true.

    Linkerbaan ,
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    The gangs certainly aren’t all Moïse’s fault. But America meddling in Haiti for over so long, backing very corrupt politicians and staging coups certainly hasn’t helped to stabilize the country. That power vacuum is why these armed gangs are able to exist.

    Nougat ,

    There are a lot of smaller criminal street gang factions in Haiti. Their aims are to "do more crimes with fewer consequences." My gut tells me that they're not seeking to govern (even wrong-headedly), just to capture control of the state to enhance their criminal enterprises. "Rebels" carries a more neutral connotation; I don't think that's warranted here.

    Buelldozer ,
    @Buelldozer@lemmy.today avatar

    Why “gangs” and not “rebels” or something similar?

    Because until just a couple of weeks ago these people weren’t billing themselves as “Freedom Fighters” or “Rebels” and they sure as shit weren’t acting like them.

    Haiti is a failed state with a blatantly illegitimate Government and it’s descending even further into terminal chaos. With that said I really don’t beleve the Freedom Fighter named “Barbecue” is going to fix anything.

    Pohl ,

    I wasn’t suggesting these folks are fighting the good fight. Just that once you start taking over the government you aren’t really a street gang anymore, you are a revolutionary force.

    To me at least the word rebel does not mean good guy, it means a person bent on the usurpation of state power. That’s it. A gang is a group of criminals. They can be both, but it sure seems like gang is the less important descriptor.

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