Abducted missionaries in Haiti: $ 17 million ransom demanded

The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of US $ 17 million for the release of the missionaries kidnapped in Haiti and their families. The hostages also include toddlers and an infant.

After the kidnapping of Christian missionaries and family members in Haiti, the kidnap gang who was responsible for the kidnapping demanded a ransom of 17 million US dollars (the equivalent of 14.6 million euros). The kidnappers wanted one million dollars each for the 17 abducted people, according to government circles in Haiti. That reported the “Wall Street Journal”.

Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel confirmed that the 400 Mawozo gang was behind the kidnapping. He said, according to the Washington Post, that the kidnappers usually ask for large sums, which are reduced during negotiations.

According to the Christian Aid Ministries organization, the hostages are five men and seven women between the ages of 18 and 48. Children aged eight months, three, six, 13 and 15 years are also among the displaced. 16 of them are US citizens, one is Canadian. The group was kidnapped on Saturday on their way back from an orphanage outside the capital Port-au-Prince.

The number of kidnappings has risen sharply

On Monday, the US State Department sent a small team of investigators to Haiti to assist the Haitian authorities. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday the US federal FBI is involved in efforts by the US government to get the kidnapped victims to safety. The US authorities are “in close contact with the families” of the abductees.

Apparently US citizens were specifically selected because they could supposedly afford the ransom, said Psaki. She pointed out that the US advises against travel to Haiti.

The kidnapping is the largest known of its kind in recent years. At least 328 kidnappings were reported to the Haitian police in the first eight months of 2021, compared to 234 in all of 2020, according to a September report by the UN Haiti office.

Protests against gang crime

Meanwhile, on Tuesday in Port-au-Prince, numerous people protested against the ongoing gang crime in the Caribbean state with a general strike. In the capital the streets were deserted, shops, schools and government buildings were closed. Tires burned during a road blockade.

Haiti, which is characterized by great poverty, has been struggling for years with natural disasters and political crises that have paralyzed the state and the economy. The murder of President Jovenel Moïse in July, which has not yet been dealt with, and a major earthquake a month later in the south-west of the country have exacerbated the country’s problems.