July 27, 2021

A new chapter in Haiti’s crisis

topic:	Democracy
located:	Haiti
editor:	Ellen Nemitz

The political crisis in Haiti seems to have no end in sight. 

Recent facts have been putting the Central American country once again in the center of a turmoil. 

Just a few months after people in Haiti protested against the refusal of then president Jovenel Moïse to leave office at the end of his term (there were debates about the what constituted the term’s final date, as the president had assumed office one year after elections were held in 2016), Moïse was assassinated on 7 July during an attack on his house. His wife was also injured, but has already recovered. 

According to El País, a dozen people - citizens of the United States, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela -are suspected to be involved in the assasination; some have been detained and others have fled and are fugitives. 

While the investigation into Moïse’s murder is still ongoing, the Organization of American States condemned the assassination, and called for a peaceful and democratic process of political dialogue that respects the Constitution.

What followed the president’s murder was a struggle for power involving mainly two politicians: Claude Joseph, the interim prime minister, and Ariel Henry. Joseph resigned some weeks later in favour of Henry, who had filled the position. Prior to this, Henry had already counted on the support of the Core Group (formed by ambassadors from several countries and other representatives from institutions such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States), which released a note supporting the person they called the "designated Prime Minister." 

During a press conference, however, the US Department of State declared that "the decision of who should lead Haiti belongs to the Haitian people,” highlighting the necessity of a political unity in order to overcome the instability that has been gripping the country for years.

"We continue to urge Haitian political actors as well as civil society, private sector to work together in the interests of Haiti’s people,” said the State Department’s spokesperson, Ned Price. “We are encouraged to see Haitian political and civil actors working to form a unity government that can stabilise the country and build the foundation for free and fair elections. Ultimately, that is what our policy seeks to facilitate.”

While free and fair elections continue to be the only possible way of creating a stable society that is aligned with principles of civil and human rights, the intervention of the US has been questioned. During the same press conference, for instance, journalists were very incisive in probing into the apparent contradiction between the Core Group’s note - which does not mention former prime minister Claude Joseph - and a previous statement by the US government backing him. The question posed afterwards was whether or not the US intervention had influenced Joseph's decision to resign. 

Meanwhile, several media outlets have been reporting the new violence surge in Haiti. After the funeral of the president, both Reuters and the New York Times, among other outlets, reported on the violence and tension in the streets as protests took place. 

Considering the unfurling chaos, it seems impossible to envision, in the near future, a conclusion to this new chapter in the Haitian crisis.

Image: Anthony Ingram. 

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