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Friday, February 15, 2019

Haiti President Jovenel Moise defiant amid deadly protests, calls for his resignation

His administration is rocked by soaring inflation and accusations of corruption, Moise said he will not allow the country to fall into the hands of criminals and urged dialogue to end a recent wave of violent demonstrations in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
For more than a week, protesters have set cars ablaze and clashed with police amid gasoline shortages, reports of widespread looting, and demands that Moise and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant step down.
A number of people have been killed, according to local media reports. CNN hasn't been able to independently confirm the number.
A firefighter extinguishes a car fire at the offices of Television Nationale d'Haiti during protests in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday.
Haiti has seen bursts of deadly demonstrations since July, when protestors took to the streets following a government-imposed fuel hike, prompting the US Embassy to warn citizens to stay off the streets. At the time, Céant replaced former Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, who resigned in mid July before an expected parliamentary vote of no confidence.
Demonstrators on the streets of the Haitian capital on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Moise was defiant to calls for him to step down.
"I will not leave the country in the hands of armed gangs and drug traffickers," he said in a speech broadcast on national television and live streamed on Facebook.
"I will never betray you," the president added, urging the Haitian people to support him and vowing unspecified economic measures "to relieve our pain."
Organization of American States Secretary Luis Almagro met with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bocchit Edmond in Washington on Thursday to discuss the protests.
"We call upon all actors to fully participate in the dialogue process, to respect the democratic process, and to resort to peaceful ways to solve conflicts," Almagro tweeted.
The US State Department on Thursday issued a Level 4 "Do not travel" travel advisory for Haiti, citing "crime and civil unrest" and "widespread, violent, and unpredictable demonstrations in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti."
The State Department ordered all" non-emergency US personnel and their families" to leave Haiti, saying the country has "limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Haiti."
Haitian police arrest demonstrators during clashes in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.
"Protests, tire burning, and road blockages are frequent and unpredictable," the advisory stated.
" Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents, and emergency response, including ambulance service, is limited or non-existent."
Canada also issued a travel advisory. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said that Canadians requiring emergency consular assistance in Haiti can contact the emergency watch and response center, as the Canadian Embassy in Haiti was closed on Thursday.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said reporters have been targeted by some demonstrators, including Haitian correspondent Robenson Sanon, who was wounded this week while covering the protests for Reuters. Sanon told CPJ that he believes he was caught in crossfire by armed protesters.
On Sunday, the head of the Haitian National Police, Michel-Ange Gedeo, said "malicious individuals" hurling stones and firing weapons had infiltrated protests that started on February 7.

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