At least 200 abductions were recorded in May alone in Haiti, most of them in the greater Port-au-Prince area, according to UN figures.
The 38 people abducted by gunmen in Port-au-Prince on Friday as they prepared to travel by two minibuses to southern Haiti were released.
“The abducted passengers were released and the two buses were returned on June 11,” the Haitian Bus Owners and Drivers Association (APCH) said in a Twitter post, without specifying whether ransom was demanded or paid to the kidnappers.
The 36 passengers and two drivers were abducted by gang members on Friday morning (local time).
Authorities have lost control of the only highway connecting the capital, Port-au-Prince, to southern Haiti since last June. The abduction of 38 people took place in this area.
APCH president Mehou Sanjou told AFP that his association “always urges drivers not to take this road until authorities restore safety”.
However, this appeal is not heeded by the poorest residents, as travel through the only alternative route is much more expensive due to tolls. “There are still buses that take the risk because some passengers do not have the financial means for the mountain route,” he explains.
At least 200 abductions were recorded in May alone in Haiti, most of them in the greater Port-au-Prince area, according to UN figures.
