When Haiti is once again plunged into chaos and violence after the government collapses, best-selling author Mitch Albom, his wife Janine, and eight volunteers face the difficult question of how to return home.
Amid rampant gang violence and unrest, an effort led by Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Rep. Cory Mills (R-Florida) led Albom and others to flee Haiti on Tuesday night. Airlifted.
“There was a group of 10 of us and we rushed into this helicopter in the middle of the night because we had to go at night because the gangs were going to shoot at the helicopter,” Albom said. “Brian Kilmeade Show” Wednesday.
“Ten of us were squeezed into this helicopter that had four seats. So we were basically just a bunch of people. It was right out of one of those movies, Go, Go, go, go. Get in, get up, and jump out.”
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When the current crisis erupted last week, Albom and nine other volunteers were in Port-au-Prince for a routine visit to a local orphanage run by his charity, Have Faith Haiti.
”[The last few days have been] “It was crazier than normal in Haiti,” Albom said. “As soon as we got there, the gangs started invading the prison and released all the prisoners. And before we knew it, the airport, the port, the roads, the borders were closed, there was no way out.”
“We spent eight days in captivity there, stocking up on food and water and trying to get black market fuel because the government was gone and everything could descend into chaos there. Because there are enough of them.”
No stranger to gang violence and political instability, Haiti’s recent crisis came to a head with then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s visit to Kenya on February 29 to seek support in the fight against gangs. did.
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Harney has not been able to return to Haiti since then, after gangs set a police station on fire, attacked a major airport and attacked two of the country’s largest prisons.
“It’s crazy,” Albom said. “It’s something we can’t imagine, and what we went through, not being able to leave, being in a country where you can’t leave, is something that no American has ever experienced. If you experience it, you become you.” Understand that that’s how Haitians always live. And that should never be tolerated. ”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Henry announced he would resign, bowing to international pressure to step down amid the turmoil gripping the country.
The announcement comes as Caribbean leaders and officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hold an emergency meeting in Jamaica as the crisis in Haiti worsens with violent groups destroying law and order in the country. It took place a few hours after we talked about.
Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, the United Nations, and the United States are all discussing how to assist with Haiti’s multifaceted crisis.
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Mr. Albom emphasized the need for U.S. intervention to address the current conflict.
“These gangs need to be dealt with. We need outside intervention,” he said. “And I know no one wants American intervention in a foreign country, but this is just off our shores. And if that country collapses, neighboring Caribbean countries It puts you at risk. That’s what happens when there’s unrest in the community. That’s what we did.”
The bestselling author added that he wants to return to Haiti and the children left behind in the orphanages run by his charity.
“I’m very concerned about the kids, and if I could get back out there, I would,” he said.
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“My thoughts are with our children, the other Americans out there, and so many others,” Albom added. “There are a lot of Americans over there who volunteer in orphanages and organizations and water projects. There are also Canadians over there, thousands of whom we know. There are others who can’t get out. “There are foreigners, and then there is me.” “I’m sure they live in fear of what will happen next. So we can’t forget them. This… Just because you can escape doesn’t mean it’s over.”
Albom is perhaps best known for his famous memoir “Tuesdays with Molly” and his recently published New York Times bestselling novels “Stranger on a Lifeboat” and “Little Liar.”
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard, Peter Aitken and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
