Page 6 - aruba-today-20221108

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 8 November 2022
Haiti gang leader to lift fuel blockade amid shortages

By EVENS SANON Associ- worsened. ... We are not
ated Press responsible for what hap-
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) pened to the country."
— A powerful gang leader Cherizier then asked wheth-
announced Sunday that er Haitians are happy with
he was lifting a blockade their living conditions,
at a key fuel terminal that whether they feel safe,
has strangled Haiti's capital whether their children can
for nearly two months. go to school without being
The announcement by kidnapped and whether
Jimmy Cherizier, a former they have food and medi-
police officer nicknamed cal care.
"Barbecue," followed gov- Many in the country of more
ernment claims of at least than 11 million people are
some success in efforts to living in even deeper pov-
reclaim the terminal, as erty at a time of double-
well as a United Nations digit inflation. Meanwhile,
resolution targeting Cheri- kidnappings and gang
zier with sanctions. But it violence has increased fol-
remained unclear who ac- lowing the July 2021 assassi-
tually controls the terminal nation of President Jovenel
and the surrounding area, Moïse, forcing thousands of
and there had been no A fuel terminal is seen from a plane in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Haiti’s National people to flee their homes.
evidence that any fuel had Police has been fighting to remove a powerful gang that surrounded the key fuel terminal in Port- Spokespeople for Haiti's
been able to leave. au-Prince for almost two months though it's not immediately clear if the blockade has been fully National Police and the of-
lifted.
In a speech posted on so- Associated Press fice of the prime minister
cial media, Cherizier called could not be immediately
on truck drivers to come access to about 10 millions and had difficulty access- stating officers were still reached for comment
and fill their tanks. gallons of diesel and gaso- ing potable water. "busy" at the terminal and following Cherizier's an-
"Drivers can come to the line and more than 800,000 Gunfire echoed from the saying "an important provi- nouncement.
terminal without any fear," gallons of kerosene, forcing area around the terminal sion is taken to secure the But some people on social
he said. gas stations to close, hospi- on Thursday as Haiti's Na- perimeters." media celebrated Cheri-
If fuel can leave, that would tals to cut back on critical tional Police fought to re- Cherizier stressed that nei- zier's announcement, re-
ease a crisis that began services and banks and assert control. Police Chief ther the gang nor anyone ferring to him as "Father" or
when Cherizier's G9 gang grocery stores to operate Frantz Elbé said in a voice- working on its behalf has "Mr. President."
federation seized control on a limited schedule. mail shared with The As- negotiated anything with In early September, Henry
of the area surrounding a It also hindered efforts to sociated Press on Friday: the prime minister, despite announced his administra-
fuel depot in Port-au-Prince cope with a cholera out- "We won a fight, but it is not claims by some politicians tion could no longer af-
on Sept. 12 to demand the break that has killed dozens over." to have done so. ford to subsidize petroleum,
resignation of Prime Minis- and sickened thousands. Official police social media "This is a fight for a better leading to sharp increases
ter Ariel Henry. Clinics have warned they accounts posted a video life," he said of the gang's in prices that unleashed
The gang's blockade cut off were running out of fuel on Sunday with no sound actions. "The situation has large protests. q

Greek PM: Gas exploration to start off Crete in coming days

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — es on endangered Medi- the potential risk of spills, Greece's use of fossil fuels ration rights in the eastern
Exxon Mobil is poised to start terranean whales and dol- and say the project, if suc- amid the planet's climate Mediterranean, and Turkish
a delayed gas prospecting phins. Critics also highlight cessful, would increase change crisis. Mitsotakis in- prospecting east of Crete
project off southwestern sisted Monday that Greece in 2020 prompted a mili-
Greece, the country's lead- remains dedicated to "fast tary build-up and bellicose
er said Monday amid ten- green transition." But he rhetoric. In 2019, Greece
sions between Greece and added: "Our country ... granted rights for explora-
Turkey over offshore rights must ascertain whether it tion which, however, didn't
and as Europe seeks alter- currently has the ability to go ahead in two blocks of
native energy sources due produce natural gas, which seabed south and south-
to the war in Ukraine. would contribute not only west of the island of Crete
The U.S. energy giant will to our own energy security to a consortium of TotalE-
start seismic exploration "in but also to that of Europe." nergies and Exxon Mobil
the coming days" south- European countries are with Greece's Hellenic Pe-
west of the southern Pelo- scrambling to replace their troleum. The areas include
ponnese peninsula and the former dependency on the Mediterranean's deep-
island of Crete, Prime Min- Russian fossil fuels follow- est waters. The Hellenic
ister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told ing Russia's Feb. 24 invasion Trench, at 5,267 meters
private Antenna TV. In this photo provided by the Greek Prime Minister's Office, of Ukraine and the subse- (17,300 feet) is a vital habi-
The project has been Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis listens a question quent damaging of pipe- tat for the sea's few hun-
heavily criticized by envi- during an interview on Greece's ANTENNA TV , in Athens, lines designed to bring nat- dred sperm whales, and for
Monday, Nov. 7 , 2022. Mitsotakis said U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil
ronmental groups, which will "in the coming days" start seismic exploration for potential ural gas from Russia to Ger- other cetaceans already
argue that the deep-sea natural gas deposits in the Mediterranean Sea off southwestern many. Meanwhile, Greece threatened by fishing, colli-
prospecting would have Greece. and Turkey are at logger- sions with ships and plastic
"unbearable" consequenc- Associated Press heads over offshore explo- pollution.q