The Government of Haiti declares a state of emergency and a curfew in part of the country

He Government of Haiti has declared the state of emergency and the curfew for a renewable 72-hour period in the Western department, where Port-au-Prince is located, due to the “degradation of security” and the attacks the day before on two prisons at the hands of armed gangs.

In a statement, the Executive indicates that in order to “restore order and take appropriate measures to recover the control of the situation“, the curfew will be in effect on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

This measure does not affect members of the public force who are on duty, firefighters, ambulance drivers, health personnel and duly identified journalists.

“The law enforcement agencies have been mandated to use all legal means at their disposal to ensure that the ceasefire is respected and to arrest violators,” adds the note signed by Patrick Michel Boivert, who acts as prime minister in the absence of Ariel Henry.

This measure is taken in the department of the West due to the degradation of security, especially in the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince, “characterized by increasingly violent criminal acts perpetrated by armed gangs that cause massive displacements of the population, and consistent over “all in kidnappings and murders of peaceful citizens, violence against women and children, looting and theft of public and private property.”

In its text, the Government refers to the attacks against the two largest prisons in the country, La Capitale and Croix des Bouquets, “causing deaths and injuries in the ranks of the Police and prison staff, the escape of dangerous prisoners and acts of vandalism of those places”, actions that “endanger national security”, the text adds.