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Colombian president visits southern Haiti as country battles surge in gang violence

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Colombian president visits southern Haiti as country battles surge in gang violence
News

News

Colombian president visits southern Haiti as country battles surge in gang violence

2025-01-23 06:49 Last Updated At:06:51

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited Haiti on Wednesday as part of a whirlwind trip to strengthen ties with the violence-wracked country.

He was expected to meet with officials and talk about potential joint projects focused on sectors including agriculture, technology and the economy, according to a statement from Petro’s office.

Petro arrived in the southern coastal city of Jacmel, bypassing the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport remains void of commercial air traffic ever since gangs opened fire on several airlines in November.

His visit comes as Haiti’s prime minister and a transitional presidential council continue to reach out to various countries as Haitian police officers and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya struggle to contain gang violence.

“In a crucial moment for Haiti’s stability, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to the strengthening of democracy and the development of the region,” Petro’s office said.

Haiti’s government spent more than $3.8 million to overhaul Jacmel’s crumbling infrastructure in preparation for Petro’s visit. Projects included restoring electricity, renovating the town hall and more than doubling the runway length at the local airport to accommodate Colombian military aircraft.

Prior to arriving in Haiti, Petro met with officials in the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Petro is one of only a handful of heads of state that have visited Haiti recently given a surge in gang violence that has prompted a growing number of leaders in the international community to call for a U.N.-peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country, noting that the current Kenyan-led mission lacks funds and personnel.

More than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year, a more than 20% increased compared with 2023, according to the U.N. In addition, more than 2,200 people were reported injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped, it said.

The violence has displaced more than one million people in recent years in a country where nearly 2 million people are on the verge of starvation.

Petro was scheduled to fly back Thursday to Colombia, where recent guerrilla attacks in the country’s northeast region have left more than 80 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Petro visited Haiti just days after 17 former Colombian soldiers accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse appeared in a court in Port-au-Prince, leading to speculation they might be released.

However, a judge postponed their hearing, with no trial date set yet.

A policeman directs traffic near the airport before the arrival of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

A policeman directs traffic near the airport before the arrival of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

Workers hang decorations for a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

Workers hang decorations for a welcoming ceremony for Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

A member of Colombian President Gustavo Petro's security detail walks past band musicians waiting to perform in the welcoming ceremony for Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

A member of Colombian President Gustavo Petro's security detail walks past band musicians waiting to perform in the welcoming ceremony for Petro, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

A street vendor walks past a poster welcoming Colombian President Gustavo Petro for a one-day visit, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

A street vendor walks past a poster welcoming Colombian President Gustavo Petro for a one-day visit, in Jacmel, Haiti, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrice Noel)

Three Israeli men held hostage in the Gaza Strip are set to be released on Saturday in exchange for more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

It's the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire deal, which teetered in recent days, will hold. Nearly all the 73 remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers, and about half are believed to be dead.

The two sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners so far during the first phase of the truce. The war could resume if no agreement is reached on the more complicated second phase, which calls for the return of all remaining hostages captured in Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and an indefinite extension of the truce.

Here's the latest:

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters have gathered in the southern Gaza Strip for the release of three Israeli hostages.

As with previous exchanges, a stage was set up and the area was festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions. Nearby was the shell of a heavily damaged multistory building.

The militants are expected to parade the hostages before crowds and cameras before handing them over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to Israeli forces.

All three hostages set to be released are men who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where some 80 of roughly 400 residents were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack.

Iair Horn, 46, is a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina. He was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who was staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity.

Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, is an American-Israeli had was working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later.

Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov’s father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.

Among the most prominent of the more than 300 Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti.

Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.

The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble, while Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region threw the truce’s future into further doubt. Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

The idea has been welcomed by Israel’s government, whose far-right members are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, and human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.

A demonstrator holding photos of freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi before and after his captivity blocks a highway during a protest demanding all hostages release from Hamas captivity, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A demonstrator holding photos of freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi before and after his captivity blocks a highway during a protest demanding all hostages release from Hamas captivity, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli captive Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli captive Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians gather to attend the Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend the Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Graffiti on Israel's separation barrier depicts the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Graffiti on Israel's separation barrier depicts the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

People holding posters with photos of Israelis hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, react at the so-called "hostages square" as they watch their release live on a television screen in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People holding posters with photos of Israelis hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, react at the so-called "hostages square" as they watch their release live on a television screen in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

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