Haiti swears in new prime minister as gangs open fire as plane lands at main airport

Haiti’s international airport was temporarily closed Monday after gangs opened fire on a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department and the airline said. The latest violence occurred as a new prime minister was sworn in.

The flight, which was flying from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince, was hit by gunfire several times as it landed in the Haitian capital, hitting a flight attendant who suffered minor injuries. Photos and videos obtained by the Associated Press show bullet holes inside a plane.

According to Spirit Airlines, the flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic. It appeared to be part of what the US Embassy described as a “gang-led effort to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruption of roads, ports and airports.”

On Monday, suit-clad diplomats and security officials flocked to the swearing-in ceremony, which was scheduled to take place in the afternoon.

The country has seen weeks of political chaos that observers say could lead to more violence in a place where bloodshed has become the new normal. The country’s gang has long exploited political unrest to seize power, close airports and shipping ports and spread chaos.