Tuesday afternoon, the construction of the stand on the Place d'Armes to welcome on January 1, 2022, the officials for the commemoration ceremony of the 218th anniversary of the independence of Haiti, was suspended following the intervention of armed individuals members of the armed group of the Raboteau neighborhood "Les Révolutionnaires", who fired on the Place d'Armes, causing panic and seriously injuring at the head Jean Elie Saintélus, a carpenter working on the construction of the stand, who was rushed to a local hospital.

In addition, Winter Etienne, the Head of the "Revolutionaries" Group of the Raboteau neighborhood, assures us that Prime Minister Ariel Henry will not set foot in the city of independence on January 1st, affirming that the city will be completely barricaded in order to to prevent Prime Minister Henry and his retinue from entering Gonaïves.

On Wednesday, commercial activities were paralyzed, most businesses, banks, schools were closed, armed individuals forced small traders to clear the sidewalks barricades of flaming tires were erected, detonations of automatic weapons were reported to the down town and close to the cathedral.

The tension is mounting and the situation remains explosive...

the Haitian National Police in Gonaïves ensures that all measures will be taken to ensure security and facilitate the arrival of the Prime Minister and his procession and the smooth running of official activities...

The Prime Minister's office has so far confirmed that Ariel Henry will continue his visit to Gonaïves on January 1, 2022.

To be continued...

SL/ HaitiLibre