Violence escalates in Haiti’s capital as PM visits Kenya to finalize security mission

A wave of panic swept through downtown Port-au-Prince on Thursday, with an outburst of violence marked by heavy gunfire and improvised barricades, and a gang leader took responsibility saying it was a demonstration against Haitian authorities.

The violent events took place on the same day Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry arrived in Kenya for talks on the deployment of a multinational security mission in the country backed by the United Nations.

By midday, most institutions and…