Haiti Kidnapping: Protests Erupt, Demand Release of Kidnapped American Nurse Alix Dorsainvil and Daughter

The Haiti kidnapping of American nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter sparked protests in the beleaguered country as locals demanded the release of the New Hampshire woman who has done so much for the local community there.

Alix Dorsainvil, who works for the nonprofit organization El Roi Haiti and is the wife of its founder, Sandro Dorsainvil, is beloved by many locals. She and her daughter are the latest victims in a string of kidnappings by gangs as part of a kidnap-for-ransom scheme that is plaguing the Caribbean nation.

The American nurse was working at a small brick clinic outside Port-au-Prince when armed men burst in and took her and her daughter away. She was helping locals at that time, but they were unable to help her as one man pulled out his gun and told the patients to relax as they took the nurse away.

According to CBS News, the gang that abducted her is asking for $1 million in ransom. Gangs usually use these kidnappings and killings as a way to sow terror among Haiti's impoverished populace.

The New Hampshire native first visited Haiti in 2010 after the devastating earthquake that devastated the country. She fell in love with Haiti and has been working as a nurse at the nonprofit since 2020. Her abduction stirred anger among locals who trooped to El Roi Haiti's campus and demanded her release.

"She is doing good work in the community, free her," read one of the protest signs. Many protesters were suffering through the sweltering heat to make their voices heard.

American Nurse's Kidnapping in Haiti Could Affect Other NGOs From Providing Aid

The Associated Press pointed out that the Haiti kidnapping of the American nurse has many aid workers in the country scared, as gangs, who often go for locals, no matter how rich or poor, in their kidnapping schemes, are now going for foreigners as well.

"(The kidnapping) is definitely going to have a chilling impact on the work that particularly smaller aid groups do in the country," said Renata Segura, who works as the deputy director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the International Crisis Group. "People are going to be thinking about it twice before returning to those communities."

Small grassroots organizations like El Roi Haiti have provided aid to some of the most impoverished communities affected by the crisis. Previously, Doctors Without Borders suspended its operations in the country after 20 armed men had burst into an operating room and snatched a patient.

American Nurse Alix Dorsainvil Loved Haiti, Said Haitians Were Full of Love and Joy

Before she and her child were abducted by a local gang, Alix Dorsainvil was known for loving the country and its people, saying that Haitians are "resilient people" who are "full of joy and life and love."

According to CNN, Dorsainvil worked at the nonprofit's school, and she provided nursing care for the children. She often spoke at the organization's website as she professed how much she loved the country and the people of Haiti, saying, "'m so blessed to be able to know so many amazing Haitians."

The US government is already aware of the kidnapping and is working with local authorities and other organizations to locate the missing US citizen.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: New Hampshire woman, young daughter feared kidnapped in Haiti - WHAS11