PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse clashed with police Thursday as some tried to storm barriers outside the National Palace while others sought shelter as heavy gunfire echoed in nearby streets. The demonstration came a day after Moïse broke his silence over the country’s recent unrest and rejected demands that he step down over allegations of officials misusing funds from subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela under the Petrocaribe program. “I’m supporting these young kids to see if we can have a change in this country,” he said. The latest protest followed a strike Monday and Tuesday that shuttered schools, businesses and government offices, shut down public transportation and caused a Parliament session to be suspended. Businesses and schools were slowly reopening by Thursday, but burning tires still blocked some streets and it was difficult to reach some towns outside Port-au-Prince.

Source: thestar June 13, 2019 23:03 UTC