Washington demands that its citizens not travel to the country and asks those who are in Haiti to leave “as soon as possible.”
MADRID, 28 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United States government has ordered the departure from Haiti of all relatives of US officials and “non-essential” employees in Haitian territory, while asking its citizens not to travel to the country due to the wave of insecurity.
The US State Department has detailed in a travel advisory posted on its website that “citizens in Haiti should leave the country as soon as possible via commercial routes or other available private transportation options given the security situation and challenges of infrastructure”.
“Do not travel to Haiti because of the kidnappings, crime, civil unrest and poor health infrastructure,” he said, before stressing that “US citizens who want to leave Port-au-Prince should follow the local press and do so only when they deem it safe.”
Likewise, it has stressed that “kidnappings are widespread” in the country and that “victims regularly include US citizens.” “Hijackers could use sophisticated schemes or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and there have even been attacks on convoys.”
“Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations, and American victims have suffered physical harm during kidnappings. Victims’ families have shelled out thousands of dollars to ransom their relatives,” he said.
On the other hand, he has stressed that the country faces a high rate of “violent crimes” and has warned that since April there has also been an increase in the lynching of alleged criminals. “Travellers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving Port-au-Prince International Airport,” she explained.
“Protests, demonstrations, burning tires, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can lead to violence,” said the State Department, which noted that “the United States government faces extreme limitations in its ability to provide emergency services to American citizens in Haiti.
“This help on the ground is only available from local authorities,” he said, while arguing that “the local police generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.” To this are added “the shortage of gasoline, electricity, medicines and medical supplies in much of Haiti” and the cholera outbreak recently confirmed by the authorities.
The decision was announced just two days after the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince confirmed that its diplomatic staff had been confined to the legation compound due to “intense shooting” in the vicinity of the facilities. He also called for “avoiding the area” and holding “demonstrations and large gatherings.”
The incidents took place hours after Haitian police used tear gas to disperse dozens of families who had taken refuge in front of the US Embassy to try to flee gang violence. The families had asked the national and international authorities for help in the face of the worsening crisis in the country.
Haiti is in the midst of an escalation of national violence, with areas practically controlled by armed gangs, and daily attacks and kidnappings, which have claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people since the beginning of the year, according to United Nations estimates. The crisis of widespread violence in the country has been aggravated by the economic collapse and the cholera epidemic, so that the number of people in need of humanitarian aid in Haiti has doubled in the last five years.
