Kidnappers in Haiti Demand $17 Million to Free Missionary Group
The New York Times
A gang captured a group of aid workers on Saturday and are holding 17 people hostage, including children. Most of those being held are Americans; one is Canadian.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The gang that kidnapped 17 people with a U.S.-based Christian aid group in Haiti on Saturday is demanding a ransom of $1 million for each person they are holding, the country’s justice minister, Liszt Quitel, said on Tuesday.
Local authorities said that the kidnapped group was captured in a suburb of Port-au-Prince and included 16 Americans and one Canadian. Five children were among those taken.
“The demand was made to the country chief of the Christian Aid Ministries — they asked for $1 million per person,” Mr. Quitel said in a phone interview, referring to the group whose members were kidnapped. “Often these gangs know these demands cannot be met and they will consider a counter offer from the families, and the negotiations can take a couple of days sometimes, or a couple of weeks.”
