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Since Tuesday August 15, the repeated attacks of a gang against a district of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, sow terror. In Carrefour-Feuilles, in the southern suburbs of the capital, at least 30 people died. A dozen other people were injured by armed gangs trying to take control of the area. But this violence also affects other neighborhoods and localities, a sign that insecurity in Haiti continues to grow.
Other localities in the north of Port-au-Prince experienced ” great tension” Thursday, August 17, writes the agency Alter Press which reports “ gang gun shootings “. The shots were heard in Lilavois, Rosembert and Bon Repos, where many residents were forced ” to leave their homes to seek shelter “says the agency. Same observation in the department of Artibonite, in the north of the country. always according to Alter Press, “at least three people were shot dead near the localities of Moreau/Peille “. Le Nouvelliste also reports an armed attack in areas of the city center of the capital such as Solino, Fort National or Corridor Bastia.
These attacks worry the press because of their extent. ” Armed bandits plunge the country further into chaos », notes The National. “Death and destruction strew the capital “, underlines for his part Le Nouvelliste in his editorial, before concluding that “For months and months, the population has been mourning its missing and its lost tranquility. The authorities are silent and hope for a miracle “.
Also to listenGang violence still spreads in Haiti
Guatemalans expected at the polls on Sunday
Guatemalans will go to the polls on Sunday August 20 to elect their president. This election comes after numerous challenges to the results of the first round. The Social Democratic candidate, Bernardo Arévalo is the favorite in the polls, but for months he has been denouncing legal harassment to prevent him from competing in the second round. Opposite him: Sandra Torres, another social democrat. Whatever the result on Sunday, Guatemala will put an end to twelve years of right-wing government in this country plagued by poverty and corruption.
Bernardo Arévalo, candidate of the Semilla movement and son of a former president, ” produced a drastic change ” with his surprise qualification in the second round, writes The Hora. The daily edition El País dedicated to Latin America sees in him a candidate for ” going against the current with a calm but firm speech in which he denounces the corruption that eats away at Guatemalan institutions ».This subject is at the heart of the campaign. The Hora speaks in his editorial of an election ” with the online corruption of target”. But the daily also calls this campaign “ atypical ” because ” affected by the criminal proceedings initiated against Bernardo Arévalo “. He is currently leading the polls ahead of his competitor Sandra Torres who ” despite its disadvantage » affirms that she « won’t be robbed of the election ”, still raises The Hora. Candidate of the National Union of Hope and former first lady, Sandra Torres is credited with just over 35% of voting intentions, against nearly 65% for her opponent Bernardo Arévalo. He also said in an interview with El País ” that he did not come to win polls, but to win elections “.
Read alsoGuatemala: a presidential election without hope of change
Fires in Canada: evacuation ordered in Yellowknife, in the West
In Canada, more than 20,000 people are being asked to evacuate the city of Yellowknife in the northwest of the country. The city is located in the heart of a vast territory threatened by numerous forest fires. More than 1,000 fires are currently ravaging the country from east to west. And the authorities are worried, because the fire season is likely to last another two months.
On the fire map published by the site of the Globe and Mail, it can be seen that few Canadian provinces are spared. The fires are mostly in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. These are provinces of western Canada. But other major fires are also active in the opposite direction, in the east, mainly in the province of Quebec. Thursday, August 17, ten flights from Yellowknife evacuated residents. “ Other flights are scheduled for this Friday, August 18 », notes the Globe and Mail. ” Thousands of residents joined road convoys or lined up at the airport “, reports the site The Press“ with only a few personal belongings hastily packed away. The Quebec site points out that faced with this influx, the airlines have “ adjusted their prices “. Air Canada and WestJet have also added flights and mobilized larger aircraft to assist with evacuation efforts “.
Read alsoForest fires in Canada: Yellowknife evacuees tell of their escape from the flames