Athena Leskovics
Overview
Haiti is no stranger to instability, but in recent years, the situation has continued to devolve, leaving many to wonder what, if anything, could help this nation ever get on its feet. Under French rule, Haiti was a vital piece of land. Since breaking from colonial rule, Haiti has dealt with government instability, natural disasters, and overall economic distress. Currently, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere with more than half the population living below the poverty line. With its current government status, it is hard to find hope that Haiti will be able to ever overcome its economic despair. In July of 2021 the Haitian president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated and there has yet to be a new president to fill this gap within the government. Haiti was already incredibly unstable, but with this new hole in the government, there is more room for instability and overthrow attempts.
What Happened to Haiti’s Last President
No leader in Haiti has had a run within the government without some level of corruption or protest from the people. Jovenel Moïse was one of the first modern rulers to become a victim of the outrage of the Haitian people towards his rule. Haiti was in a state of despair far before Moïse’sassassination, and the issues have only been exacerbated in the aftermath The assassination occurred on July 7, 2021, and there still remains mass speculation on who exactly led the assassination. There were mass protests surrounding Moïse’s presidency as he was accused of being corrupt and worsening Haiti’s already dreadful economic state. Moïse had stripped power from many powerful people around him creating a large group of powerful enemies. Gaining a powerful position such as President is a way to gain wealth in such an impoverished nation and Moïse knew this all too well. Moïse pushed to change the Haitian constitution in a way that would only contribute to his power without helping the Haitian people. He wanted to rid the current pause in between elections for presidency terms which would allow him 10 full years of power consecutively. Due to his wealth amassed from his work in the fruit-exportation business bribery amongst powerful leaders in the country was not out of the question for Moïse. People became fretful for their futures under Moïse and a group of foreign mercenaries, 26 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans, finally took action claiming Moïse’s life in an assassination. Ariel Henry was named to take over the presidency for the time being but there have yet to be any official elections to replace Moïse.
What Does the Trial Currently Look Like in Regards to the Assassination
The main trial for the assassination is currently taking place in Miami, Florida as it has been stated that the plot was concocted in both Haiti and Florida. There is a large group of people being accused of being a part of the assassination, but, in a leaked document Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire stated that both the President’s widow Martine Moïse, and Prime Minister Claude Joseph were a part of the plot in order to replace Moïse with Joseph. Currently, in Miami, 11 people have had accusations laid on them for alleged involvement in the murder and so far six have pleaded guilty.
Haiti’s Current State of Affairs
In all the current chaos of the assassination, many are now concerned with Haiti’s state of affairs. Since the assassination, it seems Haiti has only continued to spiral downwards. There have been attempts to swear in the transitional presidential council but this has yet to happen amid increased gang violence and threats. Members of this council have been threatened, continuing the delays of the swearing-in. The lack of a sworn-in council seems to have given leeway to more violence and destruction on top of all other issues Haiti has been battling for some time now. Haiti is still currently trying to deal with the infrastructure damage from the 2010 Hurricane that devastated the nation as a whole. Later in 2016 Cholera was brought over to Haiti unknowingly and has killed thousands so far as health care is very undeveloped and underfunded in the country as a whole. On top of health and infrastructure issues, as mentioned before, gangs have been running rampant throughout Haiti bringing nothing but destruction in their wake.
What is the Plan for Haiti’s Future/Conclusion
As of now, there seems to be no clear path for Haiti. However, powerful nations such as the United States have declared to allocate financial assistance to the country and announced a 10-year plan to induce stability within the nation. It has been over two years since the assassination of Moïse and murder, kidnappings, and gang rivalries seem to only be on the rise. Haiti is currently ranked as the 10th most fragile state in the world, pushing the notion that continued support from all groups that can put forth assistance, should. Currently, nations are working to create a safer nation for the Haitian people with the United Nations enacting a multinational security force led by Kenya, which has already volunteered to send around 1000 police officers to the area to combat current tensions. Working to improve the safety of individuals in the country is the first priority. Solutions so far have included canceling the nation’s debt and moving the capital. Both are likely impossible until methods have been enacted to create a safer Haiti overall.