US Embassy Evacuated By US Military in Haiti
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – On Sunday, the U.S. military announced that it carried out an operation in Haiti to evacuate select staff from the country due to rising violence while also deploying extra forces to enhance the security around the U.S. Embassy in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Southern Command, “This airlift of personnel into and out of the Embassy is consistent with our standard practice for Embassy security augmentation worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft.”
“Our Embassy remains focused on advancing U.S. government efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, expediting the deployment of the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support mission, and accelerating a peaceful transition of power via free and fair elections,” Southcom added in its statement.
Recently, Ariel Henry, the beleaguered Prime Minister of Haiti, made a trip to Kenya to advocate for the deployment of a police force from the East African nation, supported by the U.N., to combat gang violence. However, a Kenyan court decided in January that deploying such a force would violate the country’s constitution.
Henry, under pressure to either step down or establish a transitional council, finds himself unable to return to his homeland. After being unable to land in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti, he arrived in Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Jimmy Cherizier, also known as “Barbecue,” a former police officer now leading numerous gangs, acknowledged his role in recent events. He stated his primary objective was to block Prime Minister Mr. Henry’s return to Haiti.
Last Sunday, armed gangs stormed three police stations and two prisons, facilitating the escape of around 4,000 male prisoners from the facilities. Following their escape, a state of emergency was declared in Haiti.
Haiti currently holds the State Department’s most severe travel warning, labeled “Level 4 – Do Not Travel,” in light of the country’s deteriorating conditions. The agency has highlighted the rampant occurrence of kidnappings and advised that American citizens should have left Haiti several months ago.
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