PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Traffic was minimal in the normally clogged streets of Haiti’s capital yesterday, after a key minibus drivers’ union called a two-day general strike to protest high fuel prices.
“The price of gasoline has fallen on the world market, but in Haiti, the poorest country in the world, the authorities do not follow this trend,” said Fritzner Jean, who drives a colourful pickup-turned-minibus, known locally as “tap-tap”, the Caribbean nation’s main form of public transport.
“We want the state to really lower prices because it’s too expensive for us. Look at the hunger that prevails in the country. We cannot tolerate that,” Jean said.
In an effort to avoid the strike, the government announced lower fuel prices on Friday, with gasoline dropping to 200 gourdes ($4.30) per gallon from 215 ($4.62), and diesel down to 167 ($3.59) from 177 ($3.80) gourdes.
