Explosion in house

Bishop in Haiti injured in attempted assassination

In Haiti, a Catholic bishop has been injured in an attempted assassination. The condition of Pierre-Andre Dumas was said to be "stable". In the past, Dumas had repeatedly warned against criminal gangs and called for an end to their "despicable" practices.

He had described kidnappings as a "heinous and barbaric act". Now Dumas himself has become a victim of criminals. According to reports, he was injured in an explosion in a house in the capital Port-au-Prince. His life is not in danger.

The Catholic bishops in Haiti recently described one of the country's most serious crises. Armed gangs were already taking over, spreading fear and terror and causing grief to hundreds of families. "For four years, our country has been experiencing one of the longest and deadliest socio-political and security crises in its history (...) The state has lost control of the national territory," the bishops said. The population is at the mercy of the "merciless violence of the gangs and their allies".

President assassinated in 2021
President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021 and new elections have been suspended for years. The neighboring country, the Dominican Republic, closed its border as a result of a diplomatic dispute and increasing migration. In addition, the people of Haiti are suffering from an unprecedented food shortage. Almost half of the population is said not to have enough to eat. Haiti is considered the poorest country in the western hemisphere.