Raymond Lafontant, the chief of staff to the U.S.-backed interim Prime Minister of Haiti, Gerarde Latortue, was shot in Pouplarde Avenue, a neighborhood of the capital of Port-Au-Prince, during a carjacking of his new sport utility vehicle. As Lafontant was not killed, it is believed it was a simple robbery and not a deliberate assassination attempt. Since September 30th, carjacking and other crimes have been on the rise, often performed by loyalists of the Aristide government, who argue for a return of the former president from exile in South Africa.