The metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince woke up in turmoil this Wednesday, July 13, 2022. The roads at the level of Delmas, Canapé-vert, Nazon, Boulevard Toussaint Louverture were blocked until the afternoon by barricades of burning tires, stones, tree trunks or other objects.
By this movement, motorcycle cab drivers and public transport intend to denounce the high cost of living, insecurity and force the government team of Ariel Henry to postpone its willingness to increase the price of gasoline which is increasingly rare at the pump. Are we heading for another version of lock country?
Gas pumps remain closed. The streets are not very busy. Vehicles, motorcycle cab drivers joined by other people spit their anger.
Barricades, some more imposing than others, throwing stones in some places. This movement that has surprised many will continue according to a demonstrator in Delmas. “As long as the de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry does not manage to assume his responsibilities, we will remain in the streets,” he said, calling the neurosurgeon a criminal, recalling the storage of fuel that is sold at exorbitant prices in the informal.
Other demonstrators de-zine this fringe of the opposition in the name of the so-called democratic and popular sector, the band of André Michel and consort having negotiated with the de facto prime minister through the agreement of September 11. The months following the signing of the document show that such an agreement is detrimental to the collective interest. This leads this motorcycle cab driver to be more threatening.
Several secondary roads were also barricaded in Delmas until the afternoon. Drivers of vehicles had to turn back to avoid stones and broken bottles. All this is to find fuel, according to a motorcycle cab driver who denounces the malicious practices of gas station owners and pump attendants.
We remember, a vast movement of protest leading to the blockage of all activities in the country was organized on July 6, 7, 8, 2018 following the decision of government authorities at the time to increase the price of gasoline by 20 gourdes. 4 years later, the situation in the country has worsened. Life is becoming more expensive and crime is growing. At the same time, the government team of Ariel Henry is preparing to increase the price of gasoline. It would be like throwing fuel on the fire in a country where everything is going wrong and risks exploding like a powder keg.
