US airlines banned from flying to Haiti after plane shot down by gangs

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on Tuesday. Banning US airlines from flying to Haiti During the 30 days after the mobs shot down the Spirit Airlines plane; The United Nations also said it would suspend flights, which would “clearly limit the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country.”

Bullets hit the plane as it was about to land in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday, wounding a flight attendant. It was part of a wave of violence that broke out in Haiti as its new prime minister was sworn in after a politically turbulent period.

Life in much of Haiti’s capital was frozen following a wave of violence that culminated in gangs shooting down a Spirit Airlines plane on Monday, forcing the airport to close. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes in the interior of a plane. A number of airlines suspended flights to Haiti until Thursday, but it was unclear how long the closures would last.

Neither former interim prime minister Garry Conille nor newly appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé commented on the violence.

However, Luis Abinader, who as president of the neighboring Dominican Republic took harsh measures against Haitian immigration, described opening fire on the plane as terrorism.

“This was an act of terrorism; At the press conference, Abinader said that countries that follow and assist Haiti should declare these armed gangs as terrorist groups.

On Tuesday, heavily armed police in armored vehicles outside the airport checked passing public transport.

Schools were also closed, as were banks and government offices. The streets were eerily empty the day before as gangs and police were locked in a violent conflict; Very few people were passing by, except for a motorcycle with a man shot in the back.

In the afternoon heavy gunfire still echoed through the streets; It was a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti’s elites and strong pressure from the international community to restore peace, the country’s list of toxic gangs maintains a tight grip on much of the Caribbean. people.

The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. A UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles due to lack of funding and personnel has led to calls for a UN peacekeeping mission.

The violence came after a transitional council tasked with restoring democratic order in Haiti, which has not held elections since 2016, decided to fire Conille, who has frequently been at odds with the council during his six-month tenure. The council quickly appointed businessman Fils-Aimé as the new interim prime minister.

Conille initially called the move illegal, but acknowledged Fils-Aimé’s appointment in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday.

“(I) wish him success in fulfilling this duty. Unity and solidarity are of great importance for our country in this critical period. Long live Haiti!” he wrote.

Fils-Aimé promised to work with international partners to restore peace and organize long-awaited elections; His predecessor also made this promise.

But many Haitians, like 43-year-old Martha Jean-Pierre, have little taste for political conflict. Experts say this gives gangs more freedom to continue expanding their control as Haiti teeters on the brink of famine.

Jean-Pierre was among those who took to the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to sell the bananas, carrots, cabbage and potatoes he carried in a basket on his head. He said he had no choice, the only way he could feed his children was by selling.

“What good is a new prime minister if there is no security, if I cannot move freely and sell my goods,” he said, nodding towards the vegetable basket. “This is my bank account, this is what my family lives on.”

This was a disappointment brought on by international actors such as the UN and the United States who were pushing for a peaceful solution in Haiti.

On Tuesday, the US State Department complained that Conille and the council had “failed to move forward constructively” and called on Fils-Aimé and the council to present a clear action plan outlining a common vision of how to reduce violence and reduce violence. The way elections are held to “prevent further stalemate”.

“The immediate and urgent needs of the Haitian people compel the transitional government to prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” he wrote in a statement.

Sanon writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press video journalist Pierre-Richard Luxama contributed to this report.