Gang leader ‘Barbecue’ says fuel can start flowing in Haiti | Miami Herald

A former Haiti National Police officer turned gang leader who goes by the name “Barbecue,” Cherizier said he and his “Revolutionary Forces” have been closely following what’s being said about Haiti and the inability of the country’s political and civil society leaders to come together without “hypocrisy” for the good of the country. As a result, the alliance has decided to allow fuel to once more flow.

“We,” he said, “are asking all truck drivers, and all implicated in the distribution of gas, to take all dispositions to permit fuel to be distributed to pumps.”

Since Tuesday, the gang has been locked in a confrontation with specialized units of the Haitian national police, which finally took control of the Varreux terminal on Thursday. But even as Cherizier’s video message made the rounds Sunday, police were reporting heavy shootings in the area where the terminal is located. A number of gang members have reportedly died or been injured in the gun battle, police sources have said.

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In exchange for unblocking the terminal and the roads leading to the ports, Cherizier had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. His video clips always showed him to physically be in the vicinity of the Varreux port area with a wall of burning tires in the background. On Sunday, he delivered his speech not from the streets but from La Saline inside an unusually closed room where cameras did not show him to be surrounded by his heavily armed soldiers. He made no mention of controlling Varreux and denied the decision to allow fuel to flow once more was due to negotiations with the government.

Before ending his speech, he asked Haitians if they were happy with their situation where a food crisis is worsening, cholera is surging and kidnappings are rampant. He then issued a list of demands to the authorities, which include a reopening of schools and a clean up of all areas to remove the mountains of trash that have been piling up for months in the capital due to the escalating gang violence.

Despite the assertions by Cherizier, the port area still needs to be secured. G-9 allies, for example have occupied nearby police stations forcing police to retreat. In recent days, gangs have also moved further north in Port-au-Prince to occupy the area near the private Lafito port, the wheat flour processing plant and cement mill.

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