The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) released a statement condemning the reaction of “rebel” police officers who protested the spate of police killings that have recently occurred in Haiti. According to the Haitian National Police, 14 police officers have been murdered by violent gangs since the beginning of 2023. These murders pushed a group of police officers to protest, showing their displeasure.
CARICOM Statement
“The anger and dismay of the police at the gruesome killings of their colleagues, 78 killed since July 2021 and 14 to date this January, are shared by all. However, abandoning the role of the security forces to protect every citizen and maintain public order further destabilizes the country. The protest actions by members of the police service against the prime minister cannot be condoned,” the statement said. “CARICOM urges the members of the Haitian National Police to safeguard peace and order and refrain from actions which could only serve to foster even greater damage to the country and its people.”
A group of police officers protested the state of affairs in Port Au Prince, Haiti’s capital city. They protested the murder of their colleagues, blaming the government for not doing enough to fix the situation.
LittleAfrica News has reported on the various instability issues currently affecting Haiti. One of the foremost problems is that of gangs seizing control over large parts of the country. These gangs have been killing citizens, journalists, and police officers. Six police officers working for the Liancourt Police Station were murdered on January 25th. In a clear act of defiance against the police, a gang destroyed the Pernier police station that had been abandoned for a week.
El Salvador Offers A Helping Hand
According to UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Haiti Helen La Lime, over 2,100 murders were committed in Haiti in 2022. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for help from external forces. El Salvador’s government has offered to assist, starting by sending a delegation that will assess the situation and plot a way forward.
“We are using all of our armed forces and the national police in our internal war against the gangs. So we have no extra elements to send out, therefore there isn’t any possibility of El Salvador sending troops or police groups to Haiti,” Felix Ulloa, El Salvador’s Vice President said. “What I offered to the prime minister in the meeting that we had in Buenos Aires was that El Salvador is willing and able to send a sort of study mission.”
