Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.
The embattled prime minister of Haiti, the Caribbean country whose capital has been overwhelmed by violent gangs, said Tuesday that he would resign. In a short speech posted to Facebook, Ariel Henry said his government would dissolve once a transitional council had been set up, following a week of 'systematic looting and destruction of public buildings and private buildings.' 'It hurts us. And it has revolted us,' Henry said.
Last weekend, Haiti was sent into a state of emergency after gangs banded together and attacked government institutions, the airport and prisons, setting free thousands of prisoners. The notorious “G9 and Family' gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier — known as “Barbecue”— threatened more violence if Henry, prime minister since 2021, did not step down. Blinken, who flew to Jamaica for Monday's meeting, said earlier Monday that the U.S.