The Haitian government confirmed on the 26th that the escape the day before on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, the capital, resulted in the death of 25 people, including prison wardens, and the escape of more than 400 prisoners.
This is one of the largest prison escapes in Haiti in recent years.
Riots broke out in Croix de Bouquet prison on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince on the 25th.
A group of armed men attacked the prison guards with guns, and some prisoners waited for the opportunity to escape from prison. Hours after the exchange of fire, the police regained control of the prison. 60 prisoners were arrested by the police.
Franz Exanti, a Haitian government press official, said at a press conference on the 26th that the 25 dead included 6 prisoners and warden Paul Joseph; the rest were civilians and were killed during the escape of prisoners.
Exanti said that there are currently 1,125 people in custody in Croix de Bouquet prison.
Before the escape, the prison held 1,542 people.
Haitian President Jorvenel Moiz tweeted on social media condemning the escape and urging people to remain calm.
He said the police will “take all means” to ensure that the situation is under control.
The Croix-de-Bucé prison was built in 2012 and opened in the same year.
In 2014, there was a large-scale escape from the prison, and more than 300 prisoners escaped from prison. The Associated Press reported that at the time of the incident, the prison held 899 prisoners, exceeding its designed capacity of more than 130 people.
Haiti is one of the least developed countries in the world.
After declaring independence in 1804, it has been subject to foreign occupation and control for a long time. Political factions are fighting and abuse of power and corruption are repeatedly prohibited.
Haiti’s current political impasse remains, the security situation deteriorates, the coronavirus epidemic and economic and social difficulties overlap, and violent crime and social unrest are intertwined.
