Protest movements broke out early this Monday in several neighborhoods of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The cause: the increase in fuel prices, announced by the authorities and in effect since April 2. With this new hike, which comes in the wake of rising petroleum prices on the international market, public transportation fares have sharply increased—by up to 100% for some routes—and the repercussions are already being felt in the prices of basic goods and, consequently, in the rising cost of living.

It is to denounce this situation that citizens took to the streets this Monday. The first initiatives came from some drivers. In Delmas, where most of the protest activity was concentrated, public transport buses were placed across some major roads to block traffic. Later in the day, the protests intensified and spread along the Delmas highway. Until around 1:00 p.m., the situation remained tense, with traffic completely paralyzed.