Haiti: Protester killed in Port-au-Prince April 19 /update 1

Event

One protester was shot and killed during an anti-governmental demonstration held in the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday, April 19. The shooting occurred in the Delmas area during a march towards the southern Pétionville suburb. Unconfirmed information indicates the man was shot by a police agent while police were attempting to disperse the march. Further protests, organized by the Pitit Desalin political movement, are set to continue until April 21.

Context

The demonstrations have been called for to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse. Pitit Desalin is led by former presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moïse (no relation). He - along with two other losing presidential candidates - rejected the official results of the November 2016 presidential elections in which the ruling party’s Jovenel Moïse was victorious, leading to a number of violent demonstrations in the months following the vote. They are also being held to denounce the country’s rising rates of violent crime, alleged government efforts to bury the PetroCaribe corruption scandal, and poor socioeconomic conditions.

All protests in Haiti, even smaller ones, have the potential to disrupt daily life as they often involve roadblocks and/or violence.

Advice

Individuals in Haiti are advised to monitor the situation and to strictly avoid all protests and associated roadblocks due to the high likelihood of violence.