2024-01-20 22:01:05
Armed men seized the bus that was transporting the nuns. The vehicle was driven to an unknown destination. The bishop of Anse-à-Veau et Miragoâne, Monsignor Dumas: “Act of barbarism, which does not respect the dignity of consecrated women”, asks for the release of all the kidnapped women and offers himself as a hostage in their place.
Jean-Charles Putzolu – Vatican City
The Haitian capital is experiencing an increase in violence to the point that some neighborhoods have been cordoned off in recent days. According to local sources, six nuns from the Sisters of Sainte-Anne congregation were kidnapped along with other people, including the driver, when they were aboard a bus heading to the university in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The vehicle was stopped by armed men who boarded the bus and took all the passengers hostage. The kidnapping took place on Friday, January 19, in broad daylight and in the center of the capital.
Outrage of the Haitian Church
The kidnapping, confirmed by a press release from the Conference of Religious of Haiti, has also been strongly denounced by Monsignor Pierre-André Dumas, bishop of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne, who condemns “with vigor and firmness this latest hateful act and barbaric, which does not even respect the dignity of these consecrated women who give themselves wholeheartedly to God to educate and form the young, the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.
In the note, the bishop asks for the release of the hostages and an end to “these despicable and criminal practices.” He then invites “the entire Haitian society to unite to form a true chain of solidarity around all the people kidnapped in the country, to obtain their release and guarantee their quick and safe return to their families and loved ones.” Dumas He even offers himself as a hostage instead.
Increase in violence
A group of young Haitians, brought to Italy by the missionary Maddalena Boschetti, who has lived in the country for more than 20 years, participated in the general audience on Wednesday…
Armed gangs have intensified their murderous actions since last Sunday, while demonstrations once morest insecurity in the country are organized. On Thursday, the Solino neighborhood, south of Port-au-Prince, was the scene of violent shootouts between rival gangs and, in particular, an armed group from the neighboring Bel-Air neighborhood. According to the local head of a human rights organization, the clashes left around twenty dead.
Other neighborhoods in the capital, such as Carrefour Péan and Delmas 24, were also targets of gang attacks. On the streets of Port-au-Prince, residents have set up barricades to protect themselves. Kidnappings have also increased in Port-au-Prince for several weeks. Last week, a doctor and a justice of the peace were kidnapped before being released following paying a ransom.
Demonstrations once morest precariousness At the same time, anti-government demonstrations have been shaking the country for several days, at the call of Guy Philippe, former police chief and politician, who has returned to Haiti following serving a sentence in the United States for money laundering related to drug trafficking. Protesters demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, accusing him of his inaction in leading the country, both economically and security-wise.
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