Port-au-Prince, February 26 (RHC)-- In Haiti, a gun battle outside the presidential palace between police and soldiers ended in the killing of one soldier as political unrest continues to mount. 

Police officers and their supporters were protesting poor working conditions and a prohibition on unionizing.  This comes as anti-government demonstrations have been rocking the country for months, calling for the ouster of President Jovenel Moïse. 

One protest organizer told reporters: “Police aren’t paid.  The people are hungry.  Everyone has problems.  People can’t pay for their homes.  People are out on the street to demand money from Petrocaribe, which Jovenel and Martelly have robbed.  We demand the arrest of Jovenel, for him to go to jail.”

Carnival celebrations in Port-au-Prince were canceled following the weekend violence.  A United Nations envoy for Haiti warned last week political turmoil is pushing the country deeper into recession, weakening national institutions, including the police force, and has put 4.6 million people in need of humanitarian aid.