The U.S. government says it will take action against the troubled political council “in charge” if they try to destabilize the country of Haiti, as pressure builds for the unelected leaders to host elections for the first time in 10 years, the Associated Press reports.
In a memo once posted on X, the Embassy of the United States in the capital city of Port-au-Prince warns against any plans to interject on the plan. “The United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly,” the statement said.
Since Haiti’s last elected president Jovenel Moïse was killed in July 2021, the Caribbean nation has suffered from political turmoil as gangs have wrought violent havoc on the country. The country’s government council was responsible for quickly selecting a prime minister to bring some stability, resulting in Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé becoming the third person to serve in that capacity.
However, the memo comes as the council has been at odds with Fils-Aimé for undisclosed reasons. As the prime minister has yet to speak on the issue, council leader Laurent Saint-Cyr released a statement saying he opposes any move to push against government stability prior to Feb. 7 — the deadline by which the group is scheduled to step down.
“As major institutional deadlines for the Nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion, or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country,” he wrote.
“Haiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short-sighted political calculations that would compromise the stability and continuity of the State, as well as the well-being of the already sorely tested population.”
As the council held a Jan. 23 meeting behind closed doors, critics suggest members are plotting to stay in power past the identified date, leaving room for new rounds of violent protests, according to ABC News
.As the U.S. is threatening to send migrants back to Haiti amid Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections scheduled to be canceled Feb. 3, lawmakers such as U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fl.) are speaking out in hopes the prospect of uprising violence will dial back deportations. “Haiti is not safe. Deporting families back into gang violence and chaos is cruel and reckless. I stand with our Haitian community and demand that TPS be protected!” she wrote on X.
As a new report from the United Nations projects divisions “over the transitional governance architecture that is to lead the country to elections,” the special representative
of the U.N. Secretary General in Haiti, Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, assured during a meeting that the days of political manipulation are over. “Haiti has entered a critical phase in its process of restoring democratic institutions,” Ruiz-Massieu said.“Let’s be clear: the time for political maneuvering is over.”
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