International
Neighbors block streets in Port-au-Prince to protect themselves and prevent the entry of gangs
Many streets of Port-au-Prince are blocked with cars and trucks, with all kinds of objects that neighbors place to prevent the entry of armed gangs into their neighborhoods.
This is the situation that EFE found in the capital areas of Delmas 31 and Delmas 33, where the president of a neighborhood board, James Polimo, explained that it is the way they have to “self-protect” from gang violence, their attacks, killings, rapes and kidnappings.
According to Polimo to EFE, although in his neighborhood as such there are no gangs nearby, they are protected because recently members of armed groups tried to kidnap a person who works in the area.
The inhabitants, when they realized, had to cut the streets “so that they didn’t fall on him.”
Those blockages give the neighbors a greater sense of security and, he added, “although they are not one hundred percent protected, they feel safer than on the other side of the barrier.”
“Here 50 percent can sleep at night because they feel protected,” Polimo said in the face of extreme insecurity in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, largely under the control of gangs and in the midst of violence that has forced thousands of people to leave their homes and become displaced people within the city or to flee to other areas of the country or abroad.
Despite the difficulties that the cutting of streets entails for the neighbors when it comes to accessing the neighborhood, they don’t care because “when they enter, they feel safer than outside.”
He added that, if a member of the gangs decided to enter his neighborhood, “he could not be there for more than three minutes because the neighbors would catch him.”
When asked about how he sees the next deployment of the multinational security support mission, led by Kenya and approved by the UN, Polimo assured that it will be welcome, but considers that “the problem of Haiti is the same Haitians, who have to be together to be able to give security to the country and solve the problems.”
In his opinion, international troops come to Haiti to protect the country, but “we are the ones who have to stand ahead” when it comes to resolving the situation.
In early May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, Fred Mitchell, whose country will also send troops to Haiti, announced that the deployment of the multinational mission to restore security would begin on the 26th of this month.
Biden received Kenyan President William Ruto, on Thursday at the White House, and in fact raised the level of the bilateral alliance by designating the African country as a ‘main ally outside NATO’ for its leadership in that mission that will be deployed in Haiti.
At a press conference, Biden promised logistical support to the multinational security mission, but reiterated that the United States will not send soldiers to Haiti.
For the deployment of that force, which will be composed of about 2,500 members from countries from different continents, the Biden Administration committed 300 million dollars and calculated that the mission will have an annual cost of between 500 and 600 million, so it has pressured its allies to make more contributions.
The political, social and economic crisis and the escalation of violence have resulted in numerous changes in Haiti, with consequences such as Henry’s resignation and the creation of a Transitional Presidential Council, which should lead to the holding of presidential elections.
Last year alone, the violence caused 8,000 victims in Haiti, where the gangs control much of Port-au-Prince and other areas of the country.
International
Chile enters runoff campaign with Kast leading and Jara seeking a last-minute comeback
Chile’s presidential runoff campaign for the December 14 election kicked off this Sunday, with far-right candidate José Antonio Kast entering the race as the clear favorite in the polls, while left-wing contender Jeannette Jara faces an uphill scenario, hoping for a comeback that some experts describe as “a miracle.”
The final polls released in Chile—published before the mandatory blackout on survey dissemination—give Kast, an ultraconservative former lawmaker running for president for the third time, a lead of between 12 and 16 points. His opponent, the communist former minister in Gabriel Boric’s current administration, is weighed down not only by the government’s low approval ratings but also by a fragmented electorate.
Although Jeannette Jara received the most votes in the first round with 26.9%, her lack of alliances beyond the left makes it difficult for her to expand her support. Kast, who secured 23.9%, has already brought key figures on board: ultralibertarian Johannes Kaiser (13.9%) and traditional right-wing leader Evelyn Matthei (12.4%), both now backing his candidacy.
Analysts note that although Kast’s support base consolidates more than 50% of the electorate, it does not guarantee an automatic transfer of votes. Populist economist Franco Parisi, who placed third with 19.7%, emerges as the major wildcard. His party, the People’s Party (PDG), is set to decide this Sunday through an internal consultation whether to endorse one of the two finalists.
International
Trump says asylum decision freeze will remain in place “for a long time”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the suspension of decisions on asylum applications—implemented as part of his order to “halt” immigration from third-world countries following Wednesday’s shooting in Washington—will remain in effect “for a long time.”
The president declined to specify how long the freeze, imposed last Friday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), would last. The suspension affects individuals waiting for an asylum ruling from that agency, though it does not apply to cases handled by U.S. immigration courts.
The delay is part of a series of measures enacted by the Trump Administration after a shooting on Wednesday in which an Afghan national allegedly opened fire on the National Guard in Washington, D.C., killing one officer and leaving another in critical condition.
Trump has ordered a permanent halt to immigration from 19 countries classified as “third-world.” He also indicated on Sunday that “possibly” more nations could be added to the list.
“These are countries with high crime rates. They are countries that do not function well… that are not known for success, and frankly, we don’t need people from those places coming into our country and telling us what to do,” Trump said, adding: “We don’t want those people.”
USCIS had already announced on Thursday a “rigorous review” of green cards held by migrants from 19 “countries of concern,” including Afghanistan, Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti.
International
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel on Monday to assist victims of the devastating floods that have killed more than a thousand people across Asia in recent days.
A series of weather events last week triggered prolonged torrential rains across Sri Lanka, parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, southern Thailand, and northern Malaysia. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said Monday in North Sumatra that “the priority now is to deliver the necessary aid as quickly as possible.”
“There are several isolated villages that, with God’s help, we will be able to reach,” he added. Subianto also stated that the government had deployed helicopters and aircraft to support relief operations.
Floods and landslides have claimed 502 lives in Indonesia, with a similar number still missing.
This marks the highest death toll from a natural disaster in Indonesia since 2018, when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed more than 2,000 people.
The government has sent three military ships carrying aid and two hospital vessels to the hardest-hit regions, where many roads remain impassable.
In the village of Sungai Nyalo, located about 100 kilometers from Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, floodwaters had receded by Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles, and crops coated in thick mud.
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Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
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