The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it will ban U.S. airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days after two commercial planes were hit by gunfire on Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Air Mission Notice prohibiting U.S. civil aviation operations in Haiti’s territory and airspace at an altitude below 10,000 feet for 30 days.
A Spirit Airlines plane heading to the Haitian capital came under fire on Monday, forcing it to divert to the neighboring Dominican Republic, while a JetBlue Airways plane returning from Port-au-Prince was discovered to have suffered bullet damage after arriving. To New York. .
It was part of a wave of violence that erupted in Haiti when its new prime minister was sworn in after a politically turbulent process.
Neither the former interim prime minister, Gary Connell, nor the newly inaugurated Alex Didier Fils-Aimé commented on the violence.
But Luis Abinader, who as president of the neighboring Dominican Republic has cracked down on Haitian immigration, called the shooting on the Spirit Airlines plane an act of terrorism.
This was an act of terrorism; Abi Nader said in a press conference: “The countries that follow and assist Haiti must declare these armed gangs terrorist groups.”
On Tuesday, heavily armed police in armored cars outside the airport searched passing public transport trucks.
Schools were closed, as were banks and government offices. The streets, which just a day earlier had seen gangs and police clash in a fierce gun battle, were eerily empty, with few people riding except a motorbike with a man who had been shot clinging to the back.
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The sounds of heavy gunfire continued to echo through the streets in the afternoon – a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti’s elites and strong pressure from the international community to restore peace, the country’s toxic gang roster maintained a firm grip over much of the region. Caribbean Sea. Nation.
United Nations estimates indicate that gangs control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. A UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police to suppress gang violence is underfunded and understaffed, sparking calls for a UN peacekeeping mission.
The violence comes after the transitional council, charged with restoring democratic order in Haiti, which has not held elections since 2016, decided to dismiss Connell, who was often at odds with the council during his six months in office. The council quickly swore in businessman Vis Emi as the new interim prime minister.
Connell originally called the move illegal, but on Tuesday admitted to hiring Vis-Aime in a post on the social media platform X.
“(I) wish him success in accomplishing this mission. At this critical moment, unity and solidarity are essential for our country. Viva Haiti!” he wrote.
Ibn Emi promised to work with international partners to restore peace and hold long-awaited elections, a pledge also made by his predecessor.
But many Haitians, like 43-year-old Martha Jean-Pierre, have no desire for political combat, which experts say gives the gangs more freedom to continue expanding their control as Haiti teeters on the brink of famine.
Jean-Pierre was among those who roamed the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday selling bananas, carrots, cabbage and potatoes that she carried in a basket on her head. She said she had no choice, as selling was the only way she could feed her children.
“What good is a new prime minister if there is no security, and if I cannot move freely and sell my goods,” she said, nodding to the vegetable basket. “This is my bank account, this is what my family depends on.”
Frustration has been evident from international players who have pushed for a peaceful solution in Haiti, such as the United Nations and the United States.
On Tuesday, the US State Department expressed its regret that Connell and the council “were unable to move forward in a constructive manner” and called on Phil Aimee and the council to present a clear action plan that sets out a shared vision on how to reduce violence and pave the way. The path to holding elections “to prevent further stagnation.”
“The acute and immediate needs of the Haitian people force the transitional government to prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” she wrote in a statement.
—With files from The Associated Press
