Haiti’s main airport closed due to gang violence threats

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince closed on Monday as gangs attempted to lock down the capital city, according to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. Violent local gangs are blocking traffic both in and out of Port-au-Prince by disrupting roads, airports, and maritime ports, the Monday statement said. Gangs seized control of the capital earlier this year by overrunning police stations and freeing over 4,000 inmates from Haiti’s two largest prisons. Gang violence killed more than 2,500 people within the first three months of 2024 alone, according to the United Nations. Violence continued plaguing the island despite Kenyan forces launching an international security support mission in June, backed by the United States and authorized by the UN Security Council.

Is it true that someone shot at a commercial airliner? A commercial flight by Spirit Airlines departed from Florida and was preparing to land at Toussaint Louverture airport when gang members opened fire on the airbus. Photos showed scattered bullet holes inside the plane, and one flight attendant was injured, according to the Associated Press. The flight diverted and safely landed in the Dominican Republic. The security in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous, and the United States can not guarantee the safety of those traveling to or within the island nation, the U.S. embassy’s statement said. The embassy issued a separate statement on Monday warning of possible protests and civil unrest in the coming week.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Haitian military attempting to strike back at gangs after a village massacre last month.