Shots fired on US embassy vehicles in Haiti

Gang violence has been rife in the Caribbean nation, and one local media report attributed the attack to the 400 Mawozo gang, which kidnapped a group of U.S. and Canadian missionaries in 2021.

Shots were fired on US embassy vehicles in Haiti on Monday in an attack that also affected the Haitian police and commercial vehicles, an embassy spokesperson said.

A person looks at the vehicle of Eric Jean-Baptiste, former presidential candidate and leader of the Rally of Progressive National Democrats, as it sits near the police station in P�tion-ville, Haiti, on November 14, 2022. (AFP)

"No embassy personnel were injured," Information Officer Kathryn Edwards said in a statement. "One Haitian commercial driver accompanying the convoy was injured. However, the injuries are not life threatening."

The statement did not identify the attackers. Gang violence has been rife in the Caribbean nation, and one local media report attributed the attack to the 400 Mawozo gang, which kidnapped a group of US and Canadian missionaries in 2021.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Consulted about the report, Haitian government spokesperson Jean-Junior Joseph said the information was accurate.

The Haitian National Police this month took back control of the Varreux fuel terminal that for six weeks had been blocked by the G9 gang coalition, creating fuel shortages that triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Fuel has slowly begun returning to stations since then.