(Port of Spain) The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken on Wednesday called on the international community to come to the aid of Haiti, plagued by violence and poverty, and urged this country to work to broaden the political consensus.
“It is imperative I think that the international community comes together in support of Haiti,” said Mr. Blinken before an interview Wednesday evening with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, on the sidelines of a summit of Caribbean countries (Caricom) in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Haitian Prime Minister for his part noted that his country was facing violence and a “worrying humanitarian crisis” and called for help from the Caricom countries and the United States, while thanking Washington for its security and humanitarian assistance. .
Mr. Blinken had previously, during a plenary session of Caricom, promised American aid to restore security in Haiti, a necessary prerequisite for the return of democratic order in this country.
“The United States shares the sentiment felt throughout the region that we must help the Haitian people shape their future in order to restore democratic order through fair and free elections,” said the Secretary of State. American before the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean countries gathered within Caricom in Port-of-Spain.
“Haitians cannot achieve these crucial objectives without security,” he added, supporting the Haitian government’s call for the establishment of a multinational force to restore security there.
However, he gave no indication of the country that could lead this force, the United States refusing to do so for the moment.
The call from the US Secretary of State comes at a time when the UN is pleading for the dispatch of such a security force to Haiti where the security and humanitarian situation is worsening day by day.
After a trip to Port-au-Prince on Saturday where he urged the international community not to “forget” Haiti, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Monday for international “support” for the Haitian police to do faced with an “unprecedented” wave of violence in recent months.
“The security situation is deteriorating rapidly and humanitarian needs are skyrocketing,” he warned from Trinidad and Tobago, where the Caricom summit of which Haiti is one of the members opened.
He again pleaded for the “deployment of an international security force authorized by the Security Council” and “capable of cooperating with the Haitian National Police to dismantle the gangs at the origin of this unprecedented violence”.
50e anniversary
Ariel Henry has been calling for international intervention for nearly a year, but no country has yet declared itself ready to lead an intervention force.
Brazil and Canada are the most involved in the discussions, while the United States prefers to support a strengthening of local police.
The very legitimacy of the prime minister is in question. Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021.
Mr. Blinken, who will travel to Guyana on Thursday, also welcomed the “partnership” between the United States and the Caricom countries, which celebrates its 50e anniversary, and stressed the need to help the islands cope with the consequences of climate change.
An amateur guitarist himself, he bathed in Caribbean music by visiting a famous orchestra of pans (literally saucepans), this metallic instrument like a drum originally made from oil cans and which makes the tropical island pride.