HAITI: On Monday, police in Haiti used tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators who were protesting Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s administration’s handling of debilitating fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices in the streets of Port-au-Prince.
According to a social media video, police were using tear gas and firearms to disperse demonstrators as they also showed a guy being put on a stretcher after sustaining a leg injury.
A gang blockade of Haiti’s main gasoline port over a fuel price rise Henry announced last month, together with the shortages that followed, forced the closure of some hospitals that depend on diesel generators, stopped transportation, and halted most of the daily activity.
The protest occurred on the day that schools were supposed to reopen following a one-month delay in starting classes after the summer break due to the economic crisis.
He must relinquish control and give it to the appropriate person if he cannot provide answers to these questions.
A protester demanded Henry resign, saying, “Ariel does not have the dignity to open the schools. We will open the schools, and Ariel must leave.”
The week after announcing the fuel price hike, Henry acknowledged the right of citizens to demonstrate against growing costs but denounced those who instigated looting, destruction, and violence.
He declared, “Sooner or later they will have to answer for their crimes before history and the law.”
The demonstration was held the day after Haiti’s health minister reported that at least seven people had passed away from cholera, demonstrating that there are still issues with access to safe drinking water in the region’s poorest nation.
Also Read: At Least 7 People Dies of Cholera in Haiti
