Amid escalating violence and looting across the country, Ariel Henry, who assumed office without being elected, has acquiesced to demands to resign. The 74-year-old made his decision public late on Monday following an emergency summit involving neighboring nations. Haiti has witnessed a surge in violence in recent weeks, with armed gangs seizing control and intensifying calls for Henry’s departure.
After the conference in Jamaica, during which Caribbean nations urged for a prompt transition, Henry, who has been governing Haiti without being elected since the assassination of its previous president in 2021, delivered a video statement.
“The administration under my leadership will step down immediately upon the establishment of a transitional council,” Henry stated. “I urge all Haitians to stay calm and contribute in every possible way to restore peace and stability as swiftly as possible.”
The former Haitian leader is presently stuck in the United States territory of Puerto Rico, as the threat posed by the gangs has hindered his return home. According to a senior US official, he has the freedom to stay in Puerto Rico or travel elsewhere, although he would only feel safe returning to Haiti once security conditions improve.
In late February, a coalition of gangs, led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, unleashed chaos in Haiti when Henry departed, aiming to garner backing for a foreign police intervention led by Kenya. Henry’s government asserted that such intervention was crucial to reinstate order and facilitate the holding of elections.
They had issued dire warnings of civil war and genocide unless Henry, who assumed the role of prime minister following President Jovenel Moise’s assassination in 2021, resigned. Meanwhile, Haiti has plunged into turmoil, characterized by rampant violence, the plundering of essential infrastructure, and concerns about a looming famine.
The leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened an emergency summit to deliberate on a roadmap for a political transition, which the US had pressed to be accelerated due to the havoc caused by armed gangs and the frequent postponement of elections.
Henry, who is widely regarded as corrupt by many in Haiti, did not attend the summit, which was held behind closed doors. According to the Associated Press, requests for comment from Henry’s office went unanswered.
Initially scheduled to step down in February, the prime minister has been effectively barred from returning to the country since the situation escalated. He arrived in Puerto Rico last week after being denied entry to the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.