HAITI,.....again:Haiti in fresh crisis amid coup claims and dispute over president's termJovenel Moïse declared he was ‘not a dictator’ hours after ordering the arrest of 23 people, setting the stage for further turmoil
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On Tuesday, the US appeared to begin distancing itself from Moïse, saying that it was “deeply concerned” about Haiti’s fragile institutions, although it stopped short of chastising the president.
Allegations of an attempted coup – which Moïse said included plans to murder him – marked the latest episode in his controversial period in power that has been characterised by fraudulent elections, protests, economic hardship, repression and rampant corruption.
The Caribbean country – the world’s first black republic after its revolution against French rule – has a history marked by poverty, authoritarian rule, political instability and external interference including a long US occupation. It has struggled to rebuild since the devastating earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/10/haiti-coup-attempt-allegations-jovenel-moise-president-termIn related and very sad news:25 dead as 400 escape in massive Haiti prison breakoutQUOTE
Haitian authorities announced Friday that more than 400 inmates escaped and 25 people died in a prison breakout, making it the country's largest and deadliest one in a decade, with the prison director and a powerful gang leader among those killed.
Some believe Thursday’s jailbreak at the Croix-des-Bouquets Civil Prison in northeast Port-au-Prince was to free gang leader Arnel Joseph, who had been Haiti’s most wanted fugitive until his 2019 arrest on charges including rape, kidnapping and murder.
Joseph was riding on a motorcycle through the Artibonite area in the town of L’Estère on Friday a day after his escape when he was spotted at a checkpoint, police spokesman Gary Desrosiers told The Associated Press. He said Joseph pulled out a gun and died in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Joseph ruled Village de Dieu, or Village of God, a shantytown in downtown Port-au-Prince, and other communities, including some in Artibonite, which is Haiti’s largest department.
Authorities have not yet provided much details on the breakout except to say that 60 inmates have been recaptured and the investigation is ongoing. State Secretary Frantz Exantus said authorities have created several commissions to investigate who organized the breakout and why. Among those killed was the prison director, identified as Paul Joseph Hector.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/americas/25-dead-as-400-escape-in-massive-haiti-prison-breakout
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