Gang Demands $17M Ransom For Missionary Group

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – A gang that kidnapped 17 members of a U,S.-based missionary group has demanded a $17 million ransom for them. That’s according to Haiti’s justice minister, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. Liszt Quitel says the gang is demanding $1 million per person for the 16 Americans and one Canadian. A wave of kidnappings in Haiti has prompted a protest strike that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation in a new blow to the country’s anemic economy. Unions and other groups vowed to continue the shutdown Tuesday.