Posted: Jul 07, 2018 01:56 PM CDT

July 7, 2018

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – The Haitian government suspended a fuel price hike Saturday after widespread violence broke out across the capital and in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.

Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant had originally said the country needed to raise prices to balance the budget and gave no indication he would back down.

But his administration bowed to pressure after demonstrators took to the streets in protest.

A journalist from The Associated Press reported seeing several hundred people on Saturday attack a Best Western Premiere hotel in Petion-Ville, one of the capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Guests were forced to remain inside as rocks were hurled through windows around 10 a.m. local time.

Security manned the building, but rioters shattered the main entrance before moving to another hotel.

No injuries or deaths were reported during the day’s incidents, but at least three people were killed Friday as protesters used burning tires and barricades to block major streets. At one point they attempted to set a gas station on fire but were held off by police.

The demonstrations began after the Commerce Ministry and Economic Ministry issued a joint statement announcing an increase of 38 percent to 51 percent for gasoline, diesel and kerosene.

Government officials agreed to reduce subsidies for fuel in February as part of an assistance package with the International Monetary Fund. The agreement also included increased spending on social services and infrastructure and improved tax collection in an effort to modernize the economy of one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere.

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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG

This is a well-funded and coordinated effort to destabilize the Jovenel Moise government. And the attack on the Best Western, and other targets, really contained no more than 40 or 5o people. We have viewed the videos and counted heads.

Lots of burning tires, at strategic locations.

Many car windows broken.

Dozens of businesses raided. A lot of stock has been stolen. This was a part of the demonstrators  pay. They have authorization to steal things.

MSC-Plus – Haiti’s answer to Home Depot, was attacked and totally cleaned out. People were carrying fridges and generators away. We witnessed 2 guys loading plywood into their pickup truck. The inventory had several hundred generators: These are all gone.
One rumor sees a move to topple Jovenel Moise and replace him with Senate President Lambert. Lambert would then coordinate an election to see Senator Youri take the Presidency.

Jovenel Moise is between a rock and a hard place. The World Bank and IDB have both insisted that he get Haiti’s economy in order. They have the insane idea that Jovenel should actually collect taxes and duty. The business community is against him, along with the drug dealers.

The World Bank and IDB are firmly behind President Moise, praising his many projects throughout Haiti. But they would like to see some of the $1,000,000,000 per year, lost through non-collection of duty, and the millions lost via the standard tax evasion.

Everyone wants benefits, but no one want to pay the price.

If Jovenel Moise collapses it will effectively be the death of Democracy for Haiti, and will probably mark the end of any externa; support for us.

EVERYONE WILL LOSE.