A security source in Haiti confirmed to AFP that a gang kidnapped around 15 American missionaries on Saturday afternoon in eastern Port-au-Prince. The source stated that between 15 and 17 missionaries, including children, are now in the hands of the armed gang, which has increased kidnapping and robbery operations in the area between the Haitian capital and the border with the Dominican Republic over the past months. The source did not specify whether the gang has demanded a ransom.
For its part, a spokesperson for the U.S. government told AFP that "the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad are among our top priorities at the State Department. We are aware of this information and have no further comment at this time."
For years, Haiti has been hindered by a deep political crisis that has stunted its social and economic development. Located in the Caribbean, Haiti is considered one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Armed gangs, which have controlled the poorest areas of the Haitian capital for years, have expanded their influence to include Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, increasing the number of kidnappings.
More than 600 cases were recorded in the first three quarters of 2021, compared to 231 cases in the same period in 2020, according to the Human Rights Analysis and Research Center based in the Haitian capital. A UN agency census indicates that over ten thousand people from impoverished neighborhoods in the capital have been forced to leave their homes due to violence or fires.
