Two Journalists Murdered in Haiti's Port-Au-Prince
teleSUR
A police officer answers questions from journalists, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2022. (photo: Twitter/@TV5MONDEINFO)
09 January 22
"We cannot tolerate the long list of press workers murdered with total impunity, and without any successful investigation, since 1986,” the Security Working Group said.
While reporting on security issues at the Laboule 12 neighborhood, Radio Ecoute journalist Wesley was reportedly savagely shot and then burned by Ti Makak members.
"We denounce this heinous act because we cannot tolerate the long list of press workers murdered with total impunity, and without any successful investigation, since 1986,” the Security Working Group (GTS) coordinator Charles Prospere said, demanding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry effectively assume his responsibilities and prevent the security situation from continuing to deteriorate exponentially in the country.
"It is up to the Henry administration to inform the public as soon as possible about the measures it plans to take to curb insecurity throughout the country. We demand the opening of a serious investigation into these murders."
Haïti : Le Groupe de Travail sur la Sécurité, consterné suite à l'assassinat de deux journalistes par un gang https://t.co/msX28VG6Vo pic.twitter.com/SKy94eT9HU
— AlterPresse (@AlterPresse) January 7, 2022
Laboule 12 has become the scene of fighting among local criminal groups seeking to seize a secondary road that connects Port-au-Prince with the south of the country. The dispute over this route is ironclad, since other more powerful gangs control the national highway since June 2021.
The "capture" of public roads allows Haitian gangs to organize actions related to drug distribution, fuel confiscation, "toll" collection, kidnapping of persons, or other similar acts.
"Poorly equipped compared to criminal groups that have a war arsenal, the Haitian police have not organized large-scale operations against gangs since March 2021," Radio Canada recalled.