The fire, which devastated several buildings at the Goal Center on Sunday, was an act of retaliation by assailants from these gangs in response to attacks and statements made by the government against them, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action added, as quoted by Gazzette Haiti.
The capital city facility of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), also known as Rancho Croix-des-Bouquets, had been abandoned since the so-called “400 Mawozo Gang” isolated the Cul-de-Sac region where it is located, after which it was occupied by other gangs.
The recent fire coincided with a police operation against gangs, including the aforementioned Mawozo gang, whose clashes resulted in the deaths of three criminals and several injuries, as well as the seizure of weapons and the destruction of criminal group property.
The facilities of the FIFA Goal Centre in the capital are an emblematic institution for the sport in the country, having trained players for decades who embody Haitian national pride both at home and abroad.
The destruction of part of the center’s infrastructure by the fire sparked outrage from numerous local institutions against this destructive act, which—as Gazzette Haiti emphasizes—”attacks the local heritage of sport and entertainment.”
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