Thousands protest in Haiti over insecurity, rising costs

Haitian demonstrators demand removal of Prime Minister Ariel Henry as rallies held in several cities across the country. A few thousand people have taken to the streets across Haiti, demanding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down and calling for a better quality of life in the Caribbean nation. “Families don’t know what to do,” demonstrator Lionel Jean-Pierre said as the crowd around him chanted: “If Ariel doesn’t leave, we’re going to die!” Gang violence and kidnappings have surged in Haiti in recent months, as the nation continues to reel from widespread political instability worsened by the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. A couple thousand protesters in Haiti’s capital and beyond blocked roads and marched through streets to demand that PM Ariel Henry step down and to call for a better quality of life: “If Ariel doesn’t leave, we’re going to die!” https://t.co/LjQaDcj3da pic.twitter.com/nE7BpHNuWn — Dánica Coto August 22, 2022 In recent weeks, Haitians also have struggled to find fuel, which has left some unable to work. The country’s gas stocks have run low as fuel importers struggle to get paid for subsidies that keep petrol prices low in Haiti, and due to difficulties in obtaining dollars from the central bank, the Reuters news agency reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the situation.