No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCaribbeanHaitiClashes as Haiti's pop star-turned-president marks three years in power

Clashes as Haiti’s pop star-turned-president marks three years in power

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Clashes between protesters and police marked Haitian President Michel Martelly’s three years in power Wednesday, with at least one person shot in the confrontations.

While Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe appealed for calm, a gas station went up in flames as demonstrators denounced perceived abuse and corruption in the poverty-stricken Caribbean country.

Calling for Martelly’s resignation, opponents gathered near the presidential palace in the capital Port-au-Prince, where supporters of the singer-turned-head of state had assembled for a concert.

At least one person suffered gunshot wounds during clashes between protesters and police elsewhere.

“We can’t go back to the politics of the past. We need to create jobs and change the living conditions for the population,” Lamothe said as he urged restraint.

Amid pressure from the international community, the Haitian government has committed to holding long overdue legislative and municipal elections in late October.

John Thys/AFP
John Thys/AFP

The date was set after an agreement brokered by the country’s Catholic Church. While welcomed by the international community, Haiti’s main opposition parties have rejected the deal.

The poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere has long suffered from political deadlock.

Bitter disagreements between politicians have threatened already painfully slow reconstruction following a devastating earthquake in January 2010 that killed around a quarter of a million people.

Four years on, hundreds of thousands are still living in squalid makeshift camps.

Martelly has faced protests over the slow pace of rebuilding.

Trending Now

Panama Union Leader Saúl Méndez Goes into Exile in Bolivia

The leader of Panama’s main union, Saúl Méndez, accused of fraud and money laundering, left for exile in Bolivia this Saturday. He had taken...

Why Birders Are Flocking to Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica is a bird-watching paradise, offering an incredible diversity with close to 900 recorded species, including resident and migratory species. One reason for...

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Vacation in Costa Rica with Baby

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly touched down in Costa Rica for a family getaway with their three-month-old daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker. Photographers caught...

Why I Choose Real Life in Costa Rica Over the AI Hype

When it comes to AI, call me OG. Old school. I sometimes wish I could go back to a time before it existed. Artificial...

Costa Rica Faces Economic Blow as Intel, Pfizer, and Qorvo Announce Restructuring

Intel announced that it will shut down its chip assembly and test plant in Costa Rica, part of a broader global restructuring aimed at...

Starbucks Expands in Guanacaste with New Store Opening in Tamarindo

Starbucks continues to strengthen its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of its second store in the province of Guanacaste, specifically in Tamarindo....
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica