Haiti hangs on a knife edge as warlord Barbecue issues chilling warning to ... trends now

Haiti is feared to face a coup attempt as early as today after murderous warlord 'Barbecue' warned the island: 'Brace yourselves.'

The country has long descended into lawlessness with the government collapsed and gangs roaming the streets and controlling most of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Most terrifying of the gang leaders is Jimmy 'Barbeque' Cherizier, who appears intent on toppling the government as it tries to restore order.

Gangs control most of the territory that surrounds the palace, but a transitional council charged with selecting a new prime minister and cabinet is demanding its members be sworn in there.

Armored vehicles roll slowly past the palace as police scan the horizon for gangs, but every day, bullets whiz past the area, striking buildings and people alike.

The council wants the ceremony to take place on Wednesday in defiance of the gangs, but 'Barbecue' warned them to think twice.

'Whether or not you're installed, this message is for you: Brace yourselves,' he said in a Tuesday video shared on social media. 

Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced to flee in mid-March and in his absence there has been practically no government until this new effort the install the council.

He was in Kenya to push for the UN-backed deployment of a police force when the gangs launched their assault, and is still locked out of Haiti. He pledged to resign as soon as the council was installed.

The push to hold the ceremony at the palace is considered by some a show of force to suggest the Haitian government is still in charge.

This is despite marauding gangs who have previously attacked the palace and have promised to derail the ceremony as a daily barrage of gunfire persists in downtown Port-au-Prince.

More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in Haiti between January and March and life in Port-au-Prince has become a game of survival.

Haitians have been to new limits as they scramble to stay alive while gangs overwhelm the police and the government remains largely absent. 

The few who can afford it stockpile water, food, money and medication, supplies of which have dwindled since the main international airport closed in early March.

'No one out here is safe,' said Josil Djaimeska, 33, as he waved his hand in reference to the sprawling public park known as Champ de Mars where he sat on Tuesday morning near the palace.

Just steps from where he sat, a stray bullet struck Djaimeska late last week. The bullet is still in his calf, and he's hoping a doctor will operate on him soon.

Shortly after he spoke, a pop-pop-pop of gunfire erupted briefly nearby. 

Gangs control 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks launched starting February 29 have paralyzed the capital and beyond. 

They have burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since early March and stormed Haiti's two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

The situation is so bad that Royal Caribbean canceled all its cruises to Labadee, a popular resort on the island until at least the end of May.

The cruise company leases the private resort but Haiti still has jurisdiction over the peninsula it sits on.

Allure of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas were all scheduled to dock at Labadee in May but will now go to the Bahamas or spend an extra day at sea.

Regional officials believe swearing in the council at the National Palace is too risky and are urging members to choose a safer venue.

While the venue of the ceremony is still being debated, some Haitians like Marie-André Blain, 46, doubt it will be held at the palace.

'There is no security in this country. You just basically pray to God,' she said. 'If the higher ranks aren't safe, we ourselves aren't safe.'

The transitional council consists of nine members, seven of them with voting powers. Some locals are adamant the ceremony must take place.

'I am 63 years old and this is the first time I see something like this in Port-au-Prince,' said Renoir Auxil, who now lives in an abandoned bathroom in the Champ de Mars park after gangs raided his neighborhood.

He said the ongoing violence should not deter Haiti from moving forward.

'Whatever the circumstance is, they have to swear in the council,' he said.

UN special envoy for Haiti María Isabel Salvador said In a speech on Monday at the UN Security Council that its priorities should include a plan for near-term security.

'Gang leaders and other spoilers have stated their intention to violently disrupt the current political process,' she said. 

'I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security.'

Residents in the capital recently voted to buy

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