LEOGANE — Residents of Léogâne, a town south of Port-au-Prince, took to the streets Dec. 27 to protest against the continuing increase in fuel prices, national daily Le Nouvelliste reported.
Haiti’s government announced Dec. 7 a hike in fuel prices, citing years of costly subsidies, as part of a plan to improve government finances. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said at a news conference that fuel subsidies had cost $300 million in 2020. He said then the price of gasoline at the pump would rise 20%, while diesel prices would nearly double, three days later, when the new policy goes into effect.
Tuesday, the protesters called on Henry to reverse the government’s decision. Prior protests against fuel price increase and fuel shortage had occurred in different parts of Haiti for the past three months.