A group of 6 United States Senators writes to President Joe Biden to express their concerns about the deterioration of the situation in Haiti, the inability, and lack of will of the current government, demanding that measures be taken to solve the crisis.
The influential members of the esteemed body regret the “lack of progress Haiti has made in establishing a legitimate and democratically elected government, supported by the Haitian constitution.”
In a letter dated December 19, 2023, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders, Raphael Warnock, John Hickenlooper, and Chris Van Hollen denounce the calamitous management of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has shown no capacity or willingness to facilitate the resolution of the crisis during his more than 2 years in power.
“To this day, Henry continues to hold power as the de facto head of state in Haiti. The Haitian people did not democratically elect him as president, and the Haitian Parliament did not elect him Prime Minister in accordance with the Haitian constitution. He has no constitutional mandate to lead the Haitian government, and questions remain as to whether he truly represents the Haitian people,” write the 6 parliamentary members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
The American lawmakers also remind that the “consensus” reached in December with certain political organizations and civil society is expiring while none of the terms of this transition has been fulfilled, and the situation continues to deteriorate.
“The document stipulates a 14-month transition period, including general elections in 2023 and an elected government transition on February 7, 2024. The document also calls for establishing a High Transitional Council and a Control Body for Government Action, which would be responsible for promoting a political dialogue among various factions and ensuring the proper functioning of public institutions during the transition period. None of these important steps has materialized, and there is little indication that Henry will honor his commitments to facilitate democratic elections and a peaceful transition of power,” regret the lawmakers, recalling that “many Haitians believe that Henry has no interest in guiding Haiti closer to democracy and stability, particularly given his close affiliation with the Parti Haitien Tet Kale (PHTK), which has a history of using gangs as a tool of repression.”
The signatories of this letter addressed to President Biden have also expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the upcoming security mission given the complexity of the situation and the absence of a democratically elected government. They believe that the mission could, on the contrary, “effectively reinforce Henry’s illegitimate and ineffective rule” before adding that “Haiti needs a transitional government that has credibility with the Haitian people and the ability and will to hold free and fair elections.”
Faced with these concerns, the 6 lawmakers ask the American president to provide answers to the following questions:
- What is the U.S. government’s assessment of its efforts to rely on Ariel Henry to stabilize Haiti and organize elections? When does the U.S. expect elections to take place?
- Will you commit to reengaging with the civil society-led process for creating a transitional government in Haiti, without granting Ariel Henry or PHTK a de facto veto over a new transitional government?
- Will you commit to moving forward with targeted Global Magnitsky Act sanctions on Haitian elites and officials responsible for colluding with violent gangs and engaging in significant acts of corruption, including relevant leaders of PHTK?
- What additional steps will you take to stop the flow of heavy weapons and ammunition into Haiti from the U.S and through the Dominican Republic?
During an informal general assembly held by the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. representative had called for the establishment of a new political transition for a duration of 18 months. Still, Linda Thomas-Greenfield had provided no details on the terms and conditions of this proposal.
Several former U.S. diplomats, including former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard and former U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote, have accused Prime Minister Ariel Henry of involvement in the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise and colluding with armed gangs in Haiti.
Despite credible allegations against the de facto prime minister, he continues to enjoy the support of the United States for more than 2 years, and there are no signs that the Biden administration might stop supporting him anytime soon.
The original text was written in French, and the translation has been generated using ChatGPT, an AI language model. While efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, there may be nuances, interpretations, or errors. For official and critical purposes, it is recommended to consult with a professional translator or refer to the original text in French.