PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Masses of people on Thursday fled one of the few communities in Haiti’s capital that previously hadn’t been taken over by gangs, part of a surge of violence this week as gangs capitalize on the country’s political turmoil.
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Families frantically packed mattresses and furniture into cars and carried their belongings on their heads as they left the Solino neighborhood, one of a handful of areas in Port-au-Prince where a coalition of gangs, called Viv Ansanm, and police were locked in a violent firefight over the past several days.
Violence has exploded in the capital after Haiti fired and replaced its interim prime minister amid political infighting and corruption allegations against members of a transitional council created to restore democratic order to Haiti. The Caribbean nation hasn’t held an election since 2016, largely because of the gang violence.
Gangs like the Viv Ansanm coalition often seize on moments of political chaos to make power grabs like the one seen in Solino in recent days.
Gangs also largely shut down the country’s main airport by shooting a number of planes, wounding one flight attendant on Monday. The United Nations said that it documented 20 armed clashes in Port-au-Prince in just one day. The U.N. estimates that gangs control 85% of the city.
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The country’s new interim prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, has been largely silent about the violence since he was sworn in on Monday, but on Wednesday released a statement condemning the plane shootings. His office said that he ordered police to regain control of the airport and nearby area.
Meanwhile, videos on social media show smoke rising up from the area and gunfire has echoed through Solino’s streets in recent days.
While it wasn’t immediately clear how many people were fleeing the violence in Solino, it appeared that much of the neighborhood was emptying out.
Residents said they were leaving after gangs killed a police officer, known as a community leader fighting back against the gangs in the neighborhood. That killing was also reported by local media, though The Associated Press wasn’t able to confirm the death with authorities.
In October, the same gang coalition made a similar violent push into the Solino neighborhood, setting fire to homes and leaving many fleeing with all they could carry or calling radio stations to plead for help.