Haiti: G9 Gang Leader, Jimmy Cherizier, Lifts Fuel Blockade

On Sunday, an influential gang leader said he was lifting the fuel blockade at the key terminal that had been choking the capital of Haiti for almost two months.

Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer with the nickname "Barbecue," announced the move after the government said it had at least some success in reclaiming the terminal and after the United Nations voted to put sanctions on Cherizier.

However, it was still unclear who was in charge of the terminal and the surrounding area, and there was no evidence that any fuel had been able to leave, per Associated Press News.

Cherizier invited truck drivers to come to fill their tanks in a speech shared on social media.

"Drivers can come to the terminal without fear," he said.

Ariel Henry's resignation as prime minister was demanded when Cherizier's G9 gang federation took control of the region around a petroleum depot in Port-au-Prince on September 12. The situation would be solved if the fuel was released.

Nearly 10 million gallons of gasoline and diesel and over 800,000 gallons of kerosene were inaccessible due to the gang's blockade.

The fuel blockade caused fuel stations to shut down, hospitals to reduce essential services, and grocery stores and banks to be forced to operate on a limited schedule.

In addition, it made it harder to contain the outbreak of cholera that afflicted and killed thousands of individuals.

Clinics have issued alerts that they have run out of fuel and are having difficulty obtaining drinkable water.

Haiti Police Take Control of Fuel Terminal

On Thursday, gunfire resounded from the vicinity of the terminal as Haiti's National Police tried to regain control.

"We won a fight, but it is not over," police chief Frantz Elbé said in a voicemail he sent to The Associated Press on Friday.

According to the authorities, the Varreux port, located in the run-down Cité Soleil district, will resume petroleum distribution on Monday.

BBC noted that neither the government nor the police reported any injuries or deaths due to the takeover.

In a statement, Prime Minister Henry commended the police for recapturing the airport terminal.

U.S., Canada Punish Haiti Politicians Linked To Armed Gangs

Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue have been subject to joint sanctions from the United States and Canada for allegedly using their positions "to protect and enable the illicit activities of armed criminal gangs."

According to Al Jazeera, the current and former presidents of Haiti's Senate, Lambert and Latortue, were charged with helping Haitian gangs "through money laundering and other acts of corruption" by Canada's foreign affairs department on Friday.

The two were also accused of "having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs," according to the US Department of the Treasury.

According to a statement by Treasury officer Brian E. Nelson, Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue's use of their official positions to distribute drugs and communicate with gangs and criminal networks has damaged the rule of law in Haiti.

"The United States and our international partners will continue to take action against those who facilitate drug trafficking, enable corruption, and seek to profit from instability in Haiti," he added.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Haitian police control main fuel terminal in the country - From TeleSUR English