Wonders will never cease, all 78 inmates of a prison in southern Haiti have escaped from captivity, according to the country’s police.
The detainees reportedly made their escape from Aquin prison while police were distracted by anti-government protests nearby
Haiti’s national police force said it has launched an investigation into the incident.
Haitian demonstration. The citizens want President Jovenel Moise out of power. Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries.
It comes after days of demonstrations against President Jovenel Moise, which have left at least four people dead.
Speaking with Haiti newspaper Le Nouvelliste, Chief Inspector Ralph Stanley Brice said the prisoners had initially left their cells for a scheduled shower.
They later refused to return to their cells, and took advantage while police were distracted by a demonstration by protesters outside the prison and its adjoining police station.
Mr Brice added that barricades made by protesters had blocked police reinforcements sent from Les Cayes, a town nearly 34 miles (55km) away.
Haiti police during a demonstration.
The island nation has witnessed six days of protests after a court report alleged that officials and former ministers had misappropriated development loans made by Venezuela to Haiti after 2008.
The report also suggested that President Moise had been involved in irregularities.
Mr Moise – who has been in power since 2017 – has called for talks with the opposition, with no success so far.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Caribbean and 60% of the population live on less than $2 (£1.53) a day.
Haiti is a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to its east. Though it’s still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, many of Haiti’s landmarks dating to the early 19th century remain intact. These include Citadelle la Ferrière, a mountaintop fortress, and the nearby ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, the baroque former royal home of King Henry I.