But for Haitians rich and poor, gang violence and kidnappings for ransom have become a tragically common facet of life.
Abductions by the busload: Haitians are being held hostage by a surge in kidnappings
Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, holds the grim record of the world’s highest kidnapping rate per capita. One gang — 400 Mawozo — was responsible for 80 percent of abductions in Haiti from June through September, according to Gédéon Jean, director of the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights in Port-au-Prince.
Experts say the group is probably behind Saturday’s kidnapping, too.
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Here’s what to know about 400 Mawozo and Haiti’s gang violence.
American missionaries and family members kidnapped in Haiti by ‘400 Mawozo’ gang, groups say
Members of Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, including 16 Americans and one Canadian, were kidnapped in Haiti on Oct. 17 near Port-au-Prince. (Reuters)