Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites

Stamau123@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.world – 107 points – Gangs in Haiti try to seize control of main airport in newest attack on key government sites
apnews.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Heavily armed gangs tried to seize control of Haiti’s main international airport on Monday, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the latest attack on key government sites in an explosion of violence that includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons.

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport was closed when the attack occurred, with no planes operating and no passengers on site.

Associated Press journalists saw an armored truck on the tarmac shooting at gangs to try and prevent them from entering airport grounds as scores of employees and other workers fled from whizzing bullets.

It wasn’t immediately clear as of late Monday whether the attack, which was the biggest one in Haiti’s history involving the airport, was successful.

Last week, the airport was struck briefly by bullets amid ongoing gang attacks, but gangs did not enter the airport nor seize control of it.

The attack occurred just hours after authorities in Haiti ordered a nighttime curfew following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend.

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I really don’t have a deep knowledge of what is going on here but I am curious about the language we are using. Why “gangs” and not “rebels” or something similar? Seems like these groups are attempting to wrest control of the state. Anybody who has a richer perspective want to help me understand it better?

I watched a video from some of their leaders yesterday. They definitely seemed to want to present themselves as a form of paramilitary/ revolutionary faction.

Why “gangs” and not “rebels” or something similar?

Because until just a couple of weeks ago these people weren't billing themselves as "Freedom Fighters" or "Rebels" and they sure as shit weren't acting like them.

Haiti is a failed state with a blatantly illegitimate Government and it's descending even further into terminal chaos. With that said I really don't beleve the Freedom Fighter named "Barbecue" is going to fix anything.

I wasn’t suggesting these folks are fighting the good fight. Just that once you start taking over the government you aren’t really a street gang anymore, you are a revolutionary force.

To me at least the word rebel does not mean good guy, it means a person bent on the usurpation of state power. That’s it. A gang is a group of criminals. They can be both, but it sure seems like gang is the less important descriptor.

There are a lot of smaller criminal street gang factions in Haiti. Their aims are to "do more crimes with fewer consequences." My gut tells me that they're not seeking to govern (even wrong-headedly), just to capture control of the state to enhance their criminal enterprises. "Rebels" carries a more neutral connotation; I don't think that's warranted here.

They're trying to overthrow the American backed government which assassinated the previous president.

And we don't like that so they're a gang not a revolution movement.

https://youtu.be/OxrSZtLk7vU

Meh, Jovenel Moïse's Government was arguably illegal before he was assassinated. It doesn't matter anyway because these gangs were running rampant WHILE he was still President so his death didn't have a damn thing to do with it.

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/07/1013879000/even-before-jovenel-moises-assassination-haiti-was-in-crisis

The clear relation between the US and the assassination is not really mentioned there, though some past imperialism has

The U.S. has sent in the Marines twice in the past three decades to restore order, under President Bill Clinton and then again under President George W. Bush.

When Clinton and Bush are on the case of "restoring order" we can rest assured that no sketchy business took place.

This article gives some background on the assasination

Former Ambassador on Haitian President in March: “Put Him Aside” and Embrace “Prime Minister Option”

In mid-September, the Haitian prosecutor revealed the allegations about Henry’s role in the assassination. Henry urged the prosecutor’s boss to fire him; when he refused, Henry fired them both. Less than two weeks later, with the U.S. standing behind Henry, Daniel Foote, the U.S. envoy to Haiti, resigned in protest, citing in part the American willingness to back Henry. In late September, Henry dutifully dissolved the CEP.

I'm countering the false narrative that this is happening because of the assassination of Jovenel Moïse. It clearly isn't.

That doesn't make the US blameless it just means the previously stated cause isn't true.

The gangs certainly aren't all Moïse's fault. But America meddling in Haiti for over so long, backing very corrupt politicians and staging coups certainly hasn't helped to stabilize the country. That power vacuum is why these armed gangs are able to exist.