Gangs seek to storm Haiti’s main airport

Gang members in Haiti on Monday tried to take over the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. In a video recently posted to a private social media group, gunfire can be heard near the airport. An individual who works with aircraft told WORLD the video was authentic, recorded around midday Monday near the Port-au-Prince airport.

What does the Haitian government have to say? On Sunday, the Haitian government issued a curfew, according to a social media post. The decree cited the security situation across the country, especially in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. A translation of the initial post to English indicated the violence in the capital was “characterized by increasingly violent criminal acts perpetrated by armed gangs.”

What is the United States government saying about this? Also on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti told U.S. citizens in the country that they “should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options.” The embassy cited the “current security situation” in the country as the reason for the alert. It also ordered U.S. citizens outside Haiti not to travel to the country.