Ariel Henry quit his job as the prime minister of Haiti on Thursday. This means a new government can now be created in the Caribbean country. Haiti has been dealing with a lot of gang violence, which has hurt or killed over 2,500 people from January to March.
Henry sent a letter from Los Angeles on April 24, saying he quit. His office released the letter on the same day as a new council for Haiti’s prime minister and Cabinet was sworn in.
Henry’s other Cabinet members chose the Economy and Finance Minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, to be the temporary prime minister. It was not clear when the transitional council would choose its own temporary prime minister.
Speaking to a room full of people in the prime minister’s office, Boisvert said that Haiti’s crisis had been going on for too long and that the country was now at a very important decision point. The people in charge of the transitional council supported him, and so did the top police and military leaders in the country.
After talking and arguing for two months. “Boisvert said they found a way to fix the problem. ” “Today is a big day for our country. ”
He said the transitional council is a good solution for Haiti and wished them success. He believes they are determined to do a good job.
After the talks, people clinked their glasses and said “To Haiti” as they drank champagne.
The council was set up on Thursday, more than a month after Caribbean leaders said they would create it at a meeting to deal with Haiti’s worsening crisis. Shots were heard when the new council was being sworn in at the National Palace, causing people to look worried.
The group of nine people, with seven who can vote, is also supposed to help decide the plans for a new government team. It will choose a temporary election group and make a national security council. This needs to happen before the elections can happen.
The council’s term will end in February and cannot be renewed. On January 20, 2026, a new president will be sworn in.
Smith Augustin, a council member who can vote, said it is not clear if the council will keep Boisvert as the temporary prime minister or pick someone else. He said they will talk about it soon. “He said the problem cannot continue. ”
Regine Abraham, who is not allowed to vote on the council, remembered when President Jovenel Moise was killed in July 2021. She said that the violence had a really bad effect.
Abraham said that gangs are in charge of most of Port-au-Prince. Many people in the city had to leave their homes because of violence. Also, over 900 schools in the city had to shut down because of the violence.
“She said the people in Port-au-Prince are basically being controlled and held against their will. ”
Gangs started working together to attack at the beginning of February. 29 in the main city, Port-au-Prince, and nearby areas. They set fire to police stations and hospitals, shot at the main international airport which has been closed since March, and broke into the two largest prisons in Haiti, letting more than 4,000 prisoners escape. Gangs have also cut off access to the largest port in Haiti.
The attack started when Prime Minister Henry was in Kenya for an official visit to ask for a UN-supported police force from East Africa. He still can’t get into Haiti.
Catherine Russell, who works for UNICEF, said earlier this week that Port-au-Prince is almost completely closed off from the air, sea, and land.
The world has asked the council to focus on making Haiti safer because there is a lot of crime there. Even before the attacks started, most of Port-au-Prince was already controlled by gangs. More people died in early 2024 compared to the same time last year, according to a new report from the UN.
“It’s really bad how gangs are getting more active in Port-au-Prince and other areas, and things are getting worse for people’s rights and the crisis is getting worse,” said Maria Isabel Salvador, a special representative from the UN for Haiti, during a meeting with the UN Security Council on Monday.
Dennis Haskins, the new US ambassador, also came to see Boisvert get sworn in on Thursday. He said that what happened on Thursday was a big leap forward for Haiti.
“In difficult times, Haitians can accomplish great things, so we’re here to support them,” Haskins stated. “We might not solve the problem, but we want to be part of helping others find the solution. ”
He said the US government is trying to stop weapons from being sent to Haiti, because they are causing more violence there.
Haskins said it’s clear that a lot of the weapons that arrive here are from the United States and that has a direct effect. “We know it causes problems and makes things unstable. ”
Almost 100,000 people left the capital to find safer places in other cities and towns because of the attacks. Many people lost their homes when gangs set them on fire. Now they live in temporary shelters in Port-au-Prince with very few toilets for many people.
The United Nations Deputy Executive Director for the World Food Program, Carl Skau, said on Thursday that Haiti is facing a crisis in security, politics, and humanitarian issues. This is causing a lot of people in Haiti to not have enough food to eat, around 5 million people, which is about half of the population in Haiti. The UN says that not having enough food to eat can put someone’s life or job in danger.
“The situation is very serious,” Skau told reporters. “A very bad situation in Haiti, with a big effect on people. It’s the worst it’s been since the 2010 earthquake. ”
Rachel Pierre is a 39-year-old mom with four kids who lives in a temporary shelter in the city. She says, “Even though I’m feeling. “