Bayan News – International media outlets have reported that as a result of recent violence in Haiti, at least four thousand inmates have escaped from the country’s prisons.
According to Reuters, the Haitian government has declared a state of emergency and imposed a 72-hour travel ban to restore order in the country.
The reports indicate that the violence in Haiti erupted after a former police officer asked criminal gangs to unite in an attempt to overthrow the country’s prime minister.
Cheriz, a former Haitian police officer, leads the alliance of criminal gangs and is sanctioned by the United Nations and the United States.
During the clashes at the central prison in Haiti, 20 inmates, including several staff members, have been killed.
A Reuters correspondent, after visiting the prison, has reported that there are no signs of guards or police inside the facility, and the main door is open.
According to one of the prison staff members, approximately 99 inmates have chosen to remain inside their cells due to fear of being killed in crossfire, including several retired Colombian soldiers who were imprisoned on charges of involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
