U.S. Embassy Staff in Haiti Evacuates as Gang Leader ‘Barbecue’ Gains Power

Haiti’s gang leader, Jimmy Chérizier, is now the “most powerful man” in the country, according to Judes Jonathas, an independent consultant.

Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue,” compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr., according to the New York Post.

The gang leader received the nickname after it was learned he set his victims on fire.

The chaos comes as the gang attacked government buildings over the weekend, calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

The increase in gang-related violence led to U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) airlifting non-essential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in the country and sending more troops to ensure security.

“The upsurge in gang violence in neighborhoods near the U.S. embassy and airport has led the State Department to decide to proceed with the departure of additional agents,” a U.S. spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“This airlift of personnel into and out of the Embassy is consistent with our standard practice for Embassy security augmentation worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft,” USSOUTHCOM said in a statement. “Our Embassy remains focused on advancing U.S. government efforts to support the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police, expediting the deployment of the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, and accelerating a peaceful transition of power via free and fair elections.”

According to Barron’s, the European Union also evacuated its personnel from Haiti.

“Currently we have removed and evacuated all the EU staff from Haiti,” European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said, adding, “As a response to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation, we took the decision to reduce our activities on the ground and we moved the staff of the EU delegation in Port-au-Prince to a safer location outside of the country.”