Democratic Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts expressed dismay Tuesday at the grave political, security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and urged the United States and other players in the international community to do everything possible to help the world’s first black republic emerge from this catastrophe.
“We cannot afford to stand idly by as Haiti teeters on the brink of civil war; our government and international partners must continue to provide the support the Haitian people need. It is essential that the Biden administration’s response be informed and guided by the vision of the Haitian people and the Haitian diaspora in the United States,” said Senator Markey.
The Massachusetts elected official, speaking on the escalation of armed gang violence in Haiti and the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, said he was heartbroken to see the images and reports of disaster and destruction coming out of Haiti. “After more than three years in power, and given these failures to protect public safety and democracy, Prime Minister Ariel Henry has had to resign,” he noted.
Senator Markey urges the United States, along with CARICOM, Canada and other international partners, to do everything in its power to quickly put in place the Transitional Presidential Council that will hold free, fair and transparent elections. “Only with Prime Minister Henry’s immediate departure from power can an inclusive and peaceful transition take place – one that would leave Haiti’s fate in the democratic hands of Haitians,” said the Democratic senator.
The administration must do all it can to rectify the situation in Haiti
On Monday, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held an emergency meeting in Jamaica to discuss the Haitian crisis, attended by representatives of the UN, the USA, Canada and France, among others.
At the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reaffirmed the urgent need to deploy the Multinational Security Assistance Mission (MMAS) to Haiti, as the security situation has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Mr. Blinken announced that the United States, which had already pledged $200 million to the mission, would contribute a further $100 million, as well as $33 million for humanitarian aid.
“The Biden administration must do everything in its power to ensure that the Haitian National Police has the capacity it needs to restore order and combat the control of Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country by the gangs that have terrorized, killed and sexually assaulted countless innocent Haitians,” recommends the Massachusetts Democrat.
He believes that the government should not include Prime Minister Henry, gangs or other criminal associations.
A member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Edward J. Markey has already taken a series of initiatives on behalf of Haiti. In December 2023, Senator Markey and Senator Raphael Warnock (Democrat of Georgia) sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on the U.S. administration to act in the face of rising insecurity and the current humanitarian crisis in Haiti. In October 2022, Senator Markey in a letter urged the Biden administration to extend and re-designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States – an application that was granted in December 2022.