Carrefour: panic, closed schools, and barricades from the Krisla gang

Panic gripped Carrefour, south of Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday, November 10. Residents reported heavy gunfire while law enforcement forces were present. Several schools closed earlier than planned, and parents rushed to pick up their children.

On the same day, the police and the army conducted an operation in Martissant, the gateway to Carrefour, using several armored vehicles. The Minister of Defense indicated that Martissant 2 and the area around Sainte-Bernadette church were being targeted. The intervention disrupted traffic and made travel to Carrefour difficult. According to residents, the presence of the armored vehicles in Martissant triggered the panic in the commune.

According to local media, armed men from the gang led by Christ-Roi Chéry, known as "Krisla," set up several barricades on the roads in Carrefour to slow the advance of law enforcement and Salvadoran military personnel. Armed with automatic weapons, they are controlling vehicles and traffic in place of officers from the Central Directorate of Traffic Police (DCPR).

Since the start of operations against gangs in the Cul-de-Sac plain, several gang members from Croix-des-Bouquets have reportedly fled their bases to take refuge in Carrefour, a commune controlled by Krisla. Wilson Joseph, known as "Lanmò San Jou," the alleged leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, is said to be among them. This movement has not been independently confirmed.

Krisla is an active member of the Viv Ansanm coalition. His gang has already paralyzed Carrefour several times with forced strikes, and last May, it seized the Thorland power plant. The retreat of gangs into this densely populated commune raises fears of increased risks for the civilian population.

No official report had been released by Wednesday morning regarding any casualties from Tuesday's gunfire in Carrefour.