San Juan, Puerto Rico — The United States warned Haiti’s transitional council against making changes to the troubled country’s government on Wednesday, as pressure mounted on the unelected body to move toward holding elections for the first time in a decade.
In a statement posted on the
The US embassy added that such a maneuver would undermine efforts to establish “minimum security and stability” in Haiti, where gang violence is on the rise and poverty is worsening.
The statement came amid disagreement with some council members Prime Minister of Haiti Alex Didier Fils-Aimealthough it was not immediately clear why. The council met behind closed doors earlier on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said late Wednesday that he could not comment on the situation. The seven council members with voting powers did not respond to messages seeking comment.
It is the latest episode in years of political chaos that erupted after Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s last elected president, took power. He was martyred in his home In July 2021.
The council has been one of the country’s top authorities since April 2024, when it was created with the help of Caribbean leaders after powerful gangs took control of Haiti’s main international airport and targeted the country’s key infrastructure in a series of unprecedented attacks that eventually led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The council was tasked with choosing Haiti’s prime minister in an attempt to quickly bring some stability to the besieged country.
Amy’s son is the third person chosen by the council. Businessman and former president of the Haiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry, appointed in November 2025 after the council dismissed the former leader. Gary Connell.
The council is supposed to step down by February 7, but it is unclear whether that will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to stay in power longer, and many fear the move could unleash a new round of violent protests.
The February 7 deadline was approved in early 2024 on the assumption that Haiti would have held general elections to elect a new president. Gang violence The authorities have prevented officials from holding the elections so far, even though they were initially scheduled to be held in August, with a runoff round to be held in December.
A new UN report released on Wednesday noted that “national stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance structure that will lead the country to elections.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the UN Security Council met to discuss the deteriorating situation in Haiti.
“Haiti has entered a critical phase in the process of restoring democratic institutions,” said Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Haiti. “Let us be clear: the time for political maneuvering is over.”
Panama’s Ambassador Eloy Alvaro de Alba noted during the meeting that Haiti is at a “critical juncture,” as there are only 18 days left for the end of the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council.
“The ongoing nature of the violence…remains a matter of grave concern,” he said.
Several members of the UN Security Council noted that Haiti needs to move quickly toward democratic transition as gangs continue to control more territory.
“There is a need to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility… to preserve the continuity of the state and avoid any disturbances that might undermine the work of national institutions,” said Eric Pierre, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations.
Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti They seized tracts of land In the central region of the country.
More than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti from January to November last year, “with numbers likely underreported due to limited access to gang-controlled areas,” according to the UN report.
Haiti’s national police are trying to quell gang violence with the help of a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police, which remains understaffed and underfunded.
Mission Transformed into what is called a “gang suppression force” It will have the ability to arrest suspected gang members.
The Haitian government is also working with a private military contractor to conduct drone attacks targeting suspected gang members, but which have also resulted in the deaths of civilians. The raids killed more than 970 people between March and December last year, including 39 civilians, 16 of whom were children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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An earlier version of this report incorrectly described Gary Connell as the first person chosen by the transitional council as prime minister. It was the second.
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Associated Press correspondent Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this report.