The commander of the gang revolt that toppled Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, has warned that the nation would descend into a civil war unless the leader, who is now in exile, resigns.
Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier informed journalists that his nation was gazing into the abyss. An ex-cop turned gang boss going by the name “Barbecue,” Chérizier, made the bold statement that Haiti would either turn out to be paradise or hell for everyone. Furthermore, Chérizier warned that a civil war might break out and could lead to genocide if Ariel Henry did not step down and the international community maintained its support for him.
Disturbing footage of what seems to be a gang member cannibalizing others has gone viral, adding fuel to the fire of the country’s already rampant gang violence. Social networking site users were shocked to see a disturbing video of a Haitian cannibal gang feasting on the remains of a victim as he was roasting in a fire.
However, the footage didn’t represent the current crisis in Haiti. A platform user explained the video was about a fight involving the Ti Mepri and Gran Grif gangs in the Artibonite Valley more than two years ago.
Armed gangs led by “Barbeque” stormed the Haitian airport and released over 3,800 inmates in what seemed like a planned attempt to depose Prime Minister Ariel Henry, casting doubt on the future of Haiti’s government in early March.
Haitian authorities had imposed a three-day curfew and state of emergency in an attempt to quell the escalating unrest, but the national police are severely outnumbered, and key officials, including acting president Henry, are now outside the country.
As a result, the US has issued an evacuation order for its people, and Canada has temporarily closed its embassy.
U.S. officials have said that Henry would not be pressured to quit, but they have also asked him to swiftly devise a strategy for establishing a democratic administration. But on March 11th, Prime Minister Ariel Henry submitted his resignation and pleaded for peace. Late Monday, after an emergency summit of regional states, the 74-year-old declared his intention to step down.
