Veteran Associated Press videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama was embedded with a Haitian police patrol in Port-au-Prince on Monday when gang members attacked the armoured vehicle with Molotov cocktails, setting the roof ablaze. Luxama and colleague Dánica Coto have covered Haiti's descent into chaos for nearly two decades, documenting a crisis where at least 5.7 million Haitians face hunger and 1.9 million are at emergency levels.
During the attack, Luxama described thick smoke filling the vehicle as police instructed him to breathe slowly. The driver urged a quick retreat, recalling past incidents where officers were killed after their vehicles broke down. The patrol returned to base in seven to ten minutes, where civilians and police rushed to extinguish the flames.
Luxama recounted harrowing images from the patrol: a severed arm and leg tied to an electrical wire, streets filled with trash and demolished buildings, and emptied neighbourhoods. Gang violence has displaced 1.4 million people in Haiti, despite efforts by local police and a UN-backed mission.
Reflecting on the experience, Luxama emphasised the importance of staying calm in dangerous situations. He noted the eerie silence in downtown Port-au-Prince, where only birds can be heard, and recalled a policewoman taking a selfie inside the armoured vehicle during the attack.
