Political Turmoil in Haiti: Rising on our radar

We see a new global challenge on the horizon, and have decided to focus on better understanding the situation.
​Source: CNN articles such as ARTICLE 1, ARTICLE 2, ARTICLE 3, and ARTICLE 4.

We learned a few things today:
The Haitian leader, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, appointed in 2021, was recently in New Jersey. He flew to Puerto Rico's San Juan Airport on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. He was meeting in Kenya with Kenyan President William Ruto when fighting broke out. Officials from Kenya signed an agreement on Friday to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti as part of the United Nations security mission.

Finance Minister, Patrick Boivert, is serving as acting prime minister of Haiti.

Gang violence is present in Haiti according to CNN, and the over 100 Haitian gangs (source CNN) may be working to form a new government to address concerns with the current administration.

The United States intended to contribute $200 million to the multinational security support mission to back the Haitian national police “with planning, with intelligence, with airlift capacity, communications, and medical equipment and services,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week.

He had filed a flight plan to fly to the Dominican Republic, but DR shut down air traffic with Haiti. We ask the question, what was he doing in New Jersey and not in Port-au-Prince?

The US Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert on Friday, warning of gunfire and disruptions to traffic to the airport. Flight disruptions are underway, potentially intentionally, to keep the leader from returning home.

Flights returning detainees to Haiti from the United States have also been delayed. Inmates have been returned to detention centers until flights resume.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry cancelled planned elections on February 7, 2024, due to recent violence. He suggested a target election date of August 31, 2025. 

According to CNN, "warring gangs control much of Port-au-Prince."

All but 100 prisoners escaped from Haiti’s National Penitentiary in Port-Au-Prince this past weekend. Our question is...who stayed in their cells?  There was also an attack on Croix des Bouquets prison.

Haiti is a poor country of 11 million people where more than 60% of the population live on less than $4.00 per day according to World Bank estimates.

Street Song: Ariel kraze peyi a, Ariel kraze peyi a. “Ariel is destroying the country.”

Update from Reuters: 
Guy Philippe, a former coup leader who recently returned from the United States where he served a six-year prison term on drug trafficking charges, was seeking to become leader of a transition council.
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Since returning to Haiti in December, Philippe has organized nationwide protests flanked by armed members of a rogue environmental brigade known as BSAP, former soldiers who fought with Philippe in the 2004 ouster of ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

BSAP estimated to have 2,000 to 6,000 officially registered agents.

There is a name for the alliance of gangs in Haiti fighting Prime Minister Henry's return: Viv Ansanm (Living Together)