Beleaguered Haiti capital brought to brink by fuel shortages
ABC News
Haiti's capital has been brought to the brink of exhaustion by fuel shortages, after staggered along despite an earthquake, the assassination of the president, gang violence and mass kidnappings
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti’s capital has been brought to the brink of exhaustion by fuel shortages, after staggered along despite an earthquake, the assassination of the president, gang violence and mass kidnappings.
More than two weeks of fuel deliveries interrupted by gang blockades and abductions of fuel truck drivers have driven residents of Port-au-Prince to a desperate search for gasoline and diesel. The fuels are widely used to run generators needed to compensate for the country’s unreliable electrical system.
The city's main fuel terminals are located in or near gang-dominated neighborhoods like Martissant, La Saline and Cite Soliel, and some gangs have reportedly been demanding extortion payments to allow fuel trucks through.
The gangs have become a powerful force in Haiti. One of the gangs recently kidnapped 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group and reportedly demanded a ransom of $1 million each for their release, warning that the hostages will be killed if their demands aren’t met. There is no word yet on their fate.
