At least four agents were killed and eight others were injured in a clash between Haitian national police and a powerful armed group during an operation this Friday at the Village de Due, south of Port-au-Prince, the official said.
“The police are not going to back down,” Leon Charles, the company’s general director, told a news conference today.
Members of the so-called “5 Seconds” gang that turned Village de Duo into an illegal zone confiscated a variety of items, including various weapons, from agents.
The Director General of Police asked the members of the body to show solidarity and promised that the order would come with the families of the officers who fell during the operation.
Various videos, some of the harshest, have been circulated on social networks, showing pictures of at least two of the murdered policemen, whose corpses are being tortured by robbers, and the lifeless bodies continue to be shot, for large sums instead.
Audiovisuals and dozens of photos circulating on social media have caused outrage among Haitian people, who have called for the resignation of officials following the bloody incident.
This is at least the third time the police have taken action to evict the robbers from the village de du, which ended in failure.
In a speech via social media, Haitian President Jovnell Moyes expressed his outrage at the death of police officers, calling the officers heroes and sending his condolences to the more than 14,000 police officers who make up the company.
The president described the situation as “disgusting” and threatened to retaliate against the mob in charge: “Village de Genue, make arrangements. We are going for you. We are going for you by any means,” he said.
Over the years, the southern part of the capital has become one of the most dangerous places in Port-au-Prince, where gangs operate to intimidate people.
Last year, the government threatened to forcibly occupy the area, but the move was halted after human rights groups warned of the dangers of the intervention to the public.
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