“They’re seemingly death squads/mercenaries sent to murder protesters and opposition leaders. They had a list of names in their possession and according to what’s being said, certain people were targets – for example, journalists from an anti-government radio station, members,” Boukman said.

“In November during and after a nationwide demonstration, a bunch of people were murdered by way of bullets to the head. A baby was killed, for example, while there were no police or armed person around. Same for protesters, especially some who were walking home and out of nowhere one of them would fall to the ground with a bullet to the head,” she added. “There were snipers all over the country. They were photographed and other white men with masks on their faces. The Director of the Haitian National Police said he did not recognize those men, the vehicles, uniforms or weapons.”

“It’s just a mess,” Madame Boukman said of the present situation in Haiti, noting an opposition leader with whom she is friends said his name was on the list as well.

The backdrop of the arrests and subsequent release of the mercenaries were two weeks of protests in which Haitians demanded the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, the U.S.-backed leader, and Prime Minister Ceant, amid rising inflation and allegations of corruption. The Toyota Prado and Ford pickup the men drove were traced to people close to President Moise. These events are not occurring in a vacuum as the U.S. occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934, and since that time has been involved in governmental and corporate economic exploitation to keep Haiti impoverished, meddling in the internal political affairs of Haiti, and has maintained a racist immigration policy against Haitians coming to America."