Haitian authorities are in talks to release the three members of a film crew abducted on Saturday night, two of Dominican nationality and one Haitian.
The Haitian embassy in Santo Domingo said in a statement that “all Haitian security agencies are taking the necessary steps to secure the release of those in the hands of the kidnappers.”
Two Dominican film technicians have been abducted, brothers Michael Enrique and Antonio Gerer Campusano Féliz, and Haitian junior Albert Augusma, who is a student and works as an interpreter for the film production company Muska Group.
A Muska Group official told Efe that there were “ongoing negotiations” to deal with the release of the hostages and confirmed that the kidnappers had demanded a $ 2 million ransom.
The film crew, who were working on a kidnapping film, were intercepted by heavily armed men on Saturday night at the southern entrance to Port-au-Prince as they returned to the capital after filming in the coastal town of Jacmel.
The directors and technicians traveled in a caravan of about 20 vehicles and were “accompanied” by two police officers who are friends of theirs and who were out of service, according to the director of the production company.
The Haitian National Police denied, via Twitter, that the service agents escorted the caravan of vehicles.
Police spokesman Gary Desrosiers told a local radio station that the bandits were aboard “a white van with a state license plate and heavy weapons in its hands.”
Desrosiers reported that members of the film crew were abducted by bandits who control the Grand-Ravine neighborhood, an area near the site.
A demonstration was held in Port-au-Prince on Monday to demand the release of the Haitian singer, and on social media, students and professionals across the country raised their voices to demand the release of Augusma, who, in addition to being a performer and student, he is a poet.
In Santo Domingo, the relatives of the abducted Dominicans went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out about the steps taken.
Since last year, the number of kidnappings in Haiti has risen sharply, with armed gangs kidnapping people from all walks of life on a daily basis to demand ransom.
The two Dominican film technicians were identified as brothers Michael Enrique and Antonio Gerer Campusano Féliz. The Haitian citizen is Junior Albert Augusma, who is a student and works as an interpreter for the film production company Muska Group.
A Muska Group official told Efe that there were “ongoing negotiations” to deal with the release of the hostages and confirmed that the kidnappers had demanded a $ 2 million ransom.
Police spokesman Gary Desrosiers told a local radio station that the bandits were aboard “a white van with a state license plate and heavy weapons in its hands.”