International
The unstoppable crisis in Haiti breaks the traditions of Holy Week
The unstoppable crisis in Haiti, exacerbated just a month ago, prevented this Good Friday that Haitians from complying with many of the Easter traditions, mainly in the capital, Port-au-au-Prince, where 90% of the territory is under the control of armed gangs.
This year, the crowded and colorful processions or Way of the Cross that, traditionally on the occasion of Holy Week, are carried out by parishioners of the Catholic Church of the impoverished Caribbean country were left behind.
Thus, in a context marked by a crisis in all orders, the religious lived this day in recollection, although many defied the current climate of insecurity and went to mass.
In churches such as Saint Pierre, in Petion-ville, and Our Lady of Altagrace, in Delmas, both in the capital, EFE observed dozens of people praying for peace in the country.
Young people, adults and the elderly, but mostly children, many of them with images of Jesus, crowded these churches, to remember the ordeal of Christ and the suffering of the Haitian people.
Priests and parishioners cried out for the end of the crisis, aggravated since February 29 when armed gangs united and sowed terror to ask for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, currently in the United States and who has agreed to resign as soon as a transitional presidential council is formalized.
Many of them dared to take to the streets thanks to a police increase on some of the public roads, where EFE was able to see several patrols this Friday.
And it is that, the head of the National Police himself, Frantz Elbé, promised this week that the entity “will not stop fighting” for the safety of the population, to which he promised “better results.”
In a message addressed to the agents and the citizens, the official congratulated his subordinates for their daily dedication “to the fight against banditry” and for their presence on the ground “to continue protecting the life and well-being of the population.”
However, in the face of the cataclysm that Haiti is experiencing, as described on Thursday by the UN, organizations such as Human Rights Watch, cry out for urgent actions to help mitigate the situation.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch recommended measures to enable democratic governance, the protection of human rights and access to essential goods and services.
“It is essential that Haitian, regional and international leaders act to prevent the situation from getting even more out of control and truly support Haitians on the path to democratic governance, basic security, the rule of law and access to basic needs,” said Nathalye Cotrino, the organization’s crisis and conflict researcher.
Likewise, Human Rights Watch considered urgent the installation of a transitional government composed of “high-line Haitians who are not tarnished by credible accusations of corruption, support for criminal groups, human rights violations or other serious crimes.”
The Presidential Council in charge of carrying out the transition is finalizing its official inauguration, which will be followed by the appointment of a prime minister, with whom it will form a Government of National Unity.
Once this institution is implemented, the current Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, will leave power, as he himself announced in a message to the nation from Puerto Rico, where he was stared earlier this month after a trip to Kenya to discuss the sending of the multinational security support mission that Haiti expects.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
International
Suspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
U.S. authorities confirmed Saturday that the suspect who stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner while President Donald Trump was attending acted alone, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the public following the incident, which left one Secret Service agent injured.
Acting Metropolitan Police Department chief Jeff Carroll said during a press conference that the suspect was carrying “a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives” when he attempted to pass through a Secret Service security checkpoint inside the hotel lobby at approximately 8:36 p.m. local time.
“At this point, everything indicates that this was a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll stated, adding that investigators have found no preliminary evidence suggesting the involvement of additional suspects.
During the exchange of gunfire inside the hotel corridors, the suspect was not struck by bullets but was subdued by law enforcement officers and later transported to a hospital for medical evaluation.
A member of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division was shot during the incident, though the bullet was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest, preventing serious injuries. The agent was taken to a hospital and is reportedly “in good spirits,” according to Carroll.
The shooting prompted the immediate evacuation of President Trump, Melania Trump, and several senior officials attending the event after multiple gunshots were heard outside the hotel’s main ballroom.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
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