A gang kidnaps people – level 2

Last week, a Haitian gang kidnapped 17 people who were on a religious visit to Haiti.

16 Americans, one Canadian and five children were going to visit a home for orphans in the town of Ganthier when a group of men kidnapped them. The men belonged to the 400 Mawozo gang, and they asked Haitian officials to pay 17 million dollars. If officials paid the money, the gang would release 17 people.

In the first eight months of 2020, there were 234 kidnappings in Haiti. This year, the number is 628 already, which is almost three times more. The situation in the country got much worse after the murder of President Moise in July. US officials promised that they would help Haiti´s National Police fight with increasing kidnappings in the country.

Difficult words: kidnap (to illegally take a person by force and to ask for some money to let them go), orphan (a child whose parents are dead), release (to let somebody go).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.