US State Department warns Americans not to travel to Haiti amid gang takeover: Live

Several countries are advising their citizens against travelling to Haiti, including the US, UK, Ireland and Canada as gangs continue to take hold of the country.

Ariel Henry, who had been running the country as prime minister and acting president until he resigned on Tuesday amid international pressure, fled the country to Puerto Rico last week after he was refused entry into the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Dominican air, land and sea borders are closed to travellers.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters a meeting in Kingston, Jamaica was a “critical moment for Haiti and also all of us”. Meanwhile, he praised Jamaica for its “leadership in the hemisphere that we share.”

Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who chairs CARICOM, the trade bloc holding the talks, said the aim of the meeting was to bring “stability and normalcy” to Haiti, but that Haitian stakeholders “are not where they need to be,” according to AFP.

“Time is not on their side,” Ali warned in a video posted to social media, while describing reports out of Haiti as “dire.”

A pair of influential Haitain political figures have allied and have rejected a proposed ruling council developed by Caricom, a group representing 15 Caribbean nations.

Caricom planned to develop a council to step in and rule the island nation after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

However, Jean Charles Moïse, an ex-senator and presidential candidate and former rebel leader Guy Philippe, announced on Wednesday that they will not agree to that plan.

Mr Moïse instead wants a three-person presidential council — which he created with Philippe and a Haitian judge — to rule instead.

“We are not going to negotiate it,” he said during the conference. “We have to make them understand.”

Haiti’s prime minister was last seen in Puerto Rico, negotiating his return to a homeland gripped by violence and controlled by heavily armed gangsters. With his fate in the air and the situation in Haiti deteriorating by the day, the world has been left to wonder whether the country will fully descend into anarchy or whether some semblance of order will be restored.

What is going on in Haiti?

It’s easy to blame this latest spasm of violence in the West’s first free Black republic on longstanding poverty, the legacy of colonialism, widespread deforestation, and European and U.S. interference.

However, a series of experts told The Associated Press that the most important immediate cause is more recent: Haitian rulers’ increasing dependence on street gangs.

US Southern Command issued a statement on Wednesday saying a group of Marines has been sent to secure the embassy in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

The statement can be found below:

“At the request of the Department of State, the U.S. Southern Command deployed a U.S. Marine Fleet-Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide — and allow additional non-emergency personnel to depart. Our Marines in Haiti completed their assignment and were relieved by a secondary team of Marines. The U.S. Embassy remains open, and limited operations continue, focused on assistance to US citizens and supporting Haitian led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power. This week, the Department of Defense doubled our funding for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, and we are working with Haitian, Kenyan, and other partners to expedite its deployment to support the Haitian National Police and to restore security in Haiti. The Department of Defense is postured to provide enabling support for the MSS, including planning assistance, information sharing, airlift, and medical support.”

The US Coast Guard Cutter Venturous intercepted 65 migrants from Haiti near Great Inagua, Bahamas, according to a statement.

A witness spotted a sailing vessel “in distress” on 7 March and notified the Coast Guard.

“The Coast Guard’s primary mission as a member of the Homeland Security Task Force- Southeast is to preserve human life at sea,” Captain Willie Carmichael, Incident Commander for Operation Vigilant Sentry, said in a statement . “The maritime environment is inherently dangerous and can become deadly aboard crowded unseaworthy vessels. The Coast Guard will continue working with our HSTF-SE partners to rescue and repatriate anyone attempting irregular migration via sea routes, regardless of their nationality.”

All of the migrants were given food, water, medical attention, and shelter before they were repatriated to Haiti.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has sent state guard troops and state law enforcement officers to the state’s southern reaches — specifically the Keys — to stop Haitians from fleeing the island to the US.