The Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday. It follows the storming at the weekend by gangs of two prisons, with some 3,700 inmates escaping. The gang leaders want the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, with one of them (Jimmy Cherizier, aka Barbecue) saying there will be civil war if Mr Henry does not go. Mr Henry had travelled to Kenya to discuss the deployment of a UN-backed security mission in Haiti, but is now in Puerto Rico after his plane was denied permission to land in Haiti. Gangs are now estimated to control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas with a history of political instability, dictatorships and natural disasters. It became the world's first black-led republic and the first independent Caribbean state when it threw off French colonial control and slavery in the early 19th Century. But it was forced to pay crippling reparations to France, which demanded compensation for former slave owners. That "independence debt" was not paid off until 1947 with many Haitians saying that it has prevented the country from developing and moving forwards. So, how has Haiti’s history shaped its present? And can it break free from its past and, if so, how can it do so? Celia Hatton is joined by a panel of experts: Monique Clesca - A Haitian journalist, writer and advocate in Port Au Prince. Professor Marlene Daut - A Haitian American Professor of French and African American Studies at Yale University. Alex Dupuy - A Haitian born academic who has retired after a long career as Professor of Sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. He's authored many books on Haiti's history and development. Image: People run down a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti escaping from gang violence. Credit: Johnson Sabin/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock This programme has been edited since it was originally broadcast.
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I'm Celia Hatton with your weekly deep dive into a story that's making news and changing lives.
And this week we're looking at the Caribbean country of Haiti and we're asking, can it break free from its troubled history?
Violence has been surging in Haiti since Sunday and the country's powerful gangs united to overthrow two major prisons in the capital, freeing thousands of inmates.
That's led to a state of near anarchy in Port au Prince.
Gangs already control most of the city and hundreds have died in violence since the start of the year.
The UN Security Council says Haiti's reached a critical point, concerns that are echoed by the UN's Chief Humanitarian Coordinator on the ground.
I'm talking about a level of violence that is used indiscriminately.
We have big parts of the capital that is currently paralyzed.
Schools are closed, many hospitals have had to close.
A lot of the infrastructure is also closing and have been attacked by these well armed gangs.
The prime minister, Ariel Henry, was out of the country when the gang stormed the prisons.
They're also trying to take over the airport, preventing Mr.
Henry's return.
The deeply unpopular leader had promised to hold elections, but he missed last month's election deadline.
Gang leaders are demanding he quit.
If Ariel Henry does not resign, if the international community continues to support him, we'll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide.
The US has urged Ariel Henry to move forward with plans to establish a transitional government that can oversee elections as soon as possible.