Crisis in Haiti | “Far from a disavowal”: Canada evacuates diplomats

(Ottawa) The absence of commercial flights as well as the persistent insecurity in the streets of Port-au-Prince have led Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence there. However, this in no way diminishes Ottawa’s support for the ongoing transition in Haiti, assures the Canadian head of mission in the Haitian capital, André François Giroux.

The decision of the Canadian government comes a few days after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, and while the calm shrouded in uncertainty which followed this departure has given way to a predictable renewal of tension.

“But hey, in Haiti, you always have to put that into perspective. That there are shootings in a neighborhood here and there is not necessarily exceptional. These are things that happen on a daily basis,” argues Ambassador André François Giroux, in office since last fall.

This is therefore not the reason why embassy employees were temporarily reassigned to the Dominican Republic, he indicates: “the first factor is that there are no commercial flights in this moment, because the airport has been closed for 10 days”, and it is not known when the situation will return to normal.

On the other hand, it was considered desirable that diplomatic staff work in a safer place, where they do not have to worry about the supply of water or food, he continues. “It’s far from being a disavowal,” Mr. Giroux said in a telephone interview.

The employees were transported Thursday morning aboard a chartered helicopter, explained Sébastien Beaulieu, director general of security at Global Affairs Canada, during an information session. He did not want to say whether, like Washington, Ottawa deployed soldiers to protect its embassy.

No repatriation operation in sight

The Canadian government has been recommending for over a year to avoid all travel to the Caribbean island “due to the threat posed by kidnappings, gang-related violence and possible civil unrest throughout the country.”

For those who are there, Ottawa advises to “shelter in place, stock up on basic necessities (food, water and medicine)” and “limit their movements”.

Approximately 2,930 Canadians are currently in Haiti, according to Global Affairs Canada records.

A repatriation operation is not in the cards at the moment, but “we still have plans in development,” said Sébastien Beaulieu of Global Affairs Canada.

Ambassador André François Giroux confirms. At the same time, he wishes to emphasize that the crisis in Haiti is not new, and neither are the government recommendations. “What we can deduce from that is that the people who are here are here with full knowledge of the facts,” he argues.

In the absence of the air option, the possibilities of leaving the island “are almost non-existent,” he notes. That said, “we have very few calls” – 89 since March 3 – and very few people requested assistance initially, maintains the ambassador.

“It’s still manageable,” he assesses.

Elections: unrealistic before a year and a half

The next few months will not be easy. If the announced departure of Prime Minister Ariel Henry was welcomed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the future remains unpredictable due to the influence of gangs in several sectors of the capital.

The criminal groups will have to be put down by the bloodless Haitian national police, which the Canadian government is helping financially and logistically to rebuild. The international military mission led by Kenya will also be crucial to regain control of the situation.

Following the resignation of Ariel Henry, Kenya announced the suspension of the dispatch of its approximately 1,000 police officers. There is nothing to worry about, according to the Canadian ambassador. “Deploying the mission during a period of leadership transition was not ideal, so it is completely understandable,” he judges.

Normally, this deployment will take place when the transitional council takes power in Haiti, which will happen… we don’t really know when. What the experts agree to say, on the other hand, is that “it is not realistic to think about elections before 18 months,” believes the Canadian diplomat.

The non-exportable Bukele recipe

And in the meantime, the multilateral mission headed by the United Nations will help avoid authoritarian excesses like that observed in El Salvador. In the small Central American country, President Nayib Bukele has imprisoned tens of thousands of suspected gang members.

He also suggested that Haiti model its approach on his own. “All the ‘experts’ said they couldn’t be defeated because they were an ‘intrinsic part of our society.’ They were wrong. We canceled them. The same thing must be done in Haiti,” he wrote last Sunday on X.

Without commenting directly on the proposal of the self-proclaimed “coolest dictator in the world”, André François Giroux, argues that “one of the considerations of the mission authorized by the UN Security Council is respect for fundamental human rights “.