Haitian police have recovered the Varreux fuel terminal, which was raided last September by gang groups and has since been under the control of armed men.
Sources close to the matter have indicated in declarations to the newspaper ‘Le Nouvelliste’ that after an operation that began on Wednesday and has continued throughout the last day, the security forces have managed to take control of the terminal, the main point of entry of fuel in Haiti.
Thus, they have indicated that the intention of the authorities is «to remain there» in order to unblock the roads and reopen the traffic. Access to the terminal had been closed by gang members, who in recent days have clashed with Haitian forces.
The terminal houses about 70 percent of the petroleum products consumed in the country. The gang members had proposed to leave the area only if the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, announced his resignation.
However, the blockade has led to the paralysis of a large part of the country, which has asked for help from the international community due to fears of a «hecatomb» caused by the protests and the increase in violence.
Henry, who assumed full powers in Haiti following the assassination in July 2021 of the then president, Jovenel Moise, had asked for assistance to unblock some of the routes preventing the delivery of petroleum products, particularly in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan area.
He also blamed the blockades on armed groups linked to «bad politicians and bad businessmen», although he had not announced measures against these gangs, which have become strong in certain areas and even limit the work of the UN and other organizations on the ground.
