Major protests erupted on Friday in Haiti as the government announced a sharp increase in gasoline prices, with demonstrators using burning tires and barricades to block major streets across Port-au-Prince and in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.
The government said that starting this Saturday, the price of gasoline will rise 38 %, diesel will go up 47 % and kerosene will be 51 % higher.
At least 3 people were killed. Journalists saw the body of 2 protesters who had been fatally shot in Delmas area as demonstrators clashed with police. It was unclear who shot the men.
The third death was a security guard for a former political candidate who was stopped at a barricade.
The security guard got out of the vehicle and fired a gun in the air to disperse protesters.
Protesters tried at one point to set a gas station on fire but were held off by police.
