HAITI’S feared warlord Barbecue has issued a chilling threat to the residents of Port-au-Prince as he warns the capital to “get ready”.
Concern is quickly growing that the ruthless gang running wild through Haiti could unite them. army and launch a bloody blow as soon as today.
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The National Palace has always been seen as the building that Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier most wants to take over because it is the president’s home in Haiti.
For weeks, the armed thugs under his command have been marching towards the heavily fortified residence, storming the neighborhoods, leaving everyone devastated.
Heavy gunfire has also been reported near the National Palace in recent days, as many believe a brutal siege could be imminent.
This idea has been reinforced after Barbecue sent a sinister message not only to its followers but also to its enemies through a terrifying video on social media.
He announced: “Whether you are installed or not, this message is for you: prepare yourselves.”
The palace has already been “preparing” for any problem for weeks, while the police fired tear gas to make people retreat.
Soldiers can also be seen wielding rifles and patrolling the diplomatic entrance to the international airport.
A planned change of government will soon occur, resulting in strong protection for those who arrive.
Nine new members of the government are expected to arrive to try to restore a sense of peace to Haiti through a revamped presidential transition council.
The new arrivals will include an interim prime minister who will remain in power until the Caribbean island can safely plan an election.
However, for the charges to become official, they must be sworn in at the palace, raising fears that it could be the perfect time for the barbecue and thugs’ strike.
No date has been formally announced yet, but some believe it could be soon, as in the next 72 hours if not before the end of today.
Bloodthirsty Barbecue has been out to overthrow the Haitian government since it rampaged through Port-au-Prince in recent weeks.
Originally, the outrage was related to the ousting of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry from his position of power, but Henry agreed to resign on March 11, prompting the formation of a new government.
But the attacks on the capital have only gotten worse since Henry resigned.
This has caused the US military to reinforce defenses at its own embassy for fear that the violence will not end soon.
Barbecue has previously said he would consider a ceasefire, as well as political and peace talks, as long as he and his gangs are included in the process.
But analysts say he is fighting for full control of the small Caribbean island nation of 11 million people.
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As part of their plan to take over the palace, armed thugs took over the State University Hospital next door and turned it into a stronghold base to launch further attacks.
The criminal kingpin, who allegedly earned his nickname for burning victims alive, recently warned of more bloodshed to come.
Two voice recordings are circulating on social media that locals say are of Barbecue ordering his soldiers to burn houses in Lower Delmas, an impoverished part of the capital where he grew up.
“Keep burning the houses. Let everyone leave,” a man says in the first audio recording.
In another, he says he has sent cans of gasoline: “You don’t need to know which house. Burn all the houses you find. Set fire.”
What is happening in Haiti?
HAITI has been under a state of emergency since March 4 after heavily armed gangs laid siege to the capital in an attempt to overthrow the government.
Bodies pile up on the streets of Port-au-Prince, mired in an all-out civil war between more than 200 ruthless gangs, a weak police force and recently citizen-led death squads.
Amid the lawless carnage, there are widespread reports of murder, rape, arson and kidnapping as once-warring gangs have unified to lead coordinated attacks.
In early March, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, leader of Haiti’s most powerful gang alliance, the G9, declared that the country’s ruthless gangs are uniting to overthrow interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Barbecue, famous for burning his victims alive, has helped lead attacks against the main airport, the country’s two largest prisons, fuel depots and police stations, paralyzing the country.
Prime Minister Henry remained stranded abroad and agreed to resign on 11 March. But the violence did not decrease.
Instead, gangs have tried to exploit the chaos to take more territory; Reports claim that they now control more than 90 percent of Port-au-Prince.
Gunfights rage in the streets, residents have barricaded themselves in their homes, and half of Haiti’s population is struggling to feed itself.
The new wave of violence that has hit the disaster-stricken country has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands.
According to the UN, the small Caribbean nation is now at a breaking point.
A CITY UNDER SIEGE
For more than two years, warring factions have been tearing Port-au-Prince apart, turning every day into a fight for survival.
But Haiti has been rocked by a wave of unrest since late February, when armed groups raided a prison, freed more than 5,000 inmates and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Port-au-Prince has been embroiled in an all-out civil war between more than 200 gangs, a weak police force and, more recently, citizen-led death squads.
The state has been largely absent during the violence and the Haitian police, outmanned and outgunned, are ill-equipped against gangs seeking to expand their territorial control of the capital city.
Plans for a international security missionrequested by Henry in 2022, remain on hold pending a new government.
But as the Caribbean nation reels under a state of emergency, civilians have been severely caught in the crossfire and violence has killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands.
The UN estimates that more than 360,000 people are internally displaced and millions are starve while the main ports and supply routes remain blocked.
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