Haiti

An upsurge in deadly clashes between gangs in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has displaced more than 5,000 people since the beginning of the month, the United Nations said on Thursday, citing preliminary estimates from its humanitarian agency, OCHA. 

Haiti has postponed a constitutional referendum scheduled for June 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic without giving a new date for the vote, further deepening the country’s political crisis.

Haiti Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe resigned Wednesday in the wake of a surge in crime that has left the country on edge amid a deepening political crisis. His resignation after only a year in the job comes shortly before a controversial constitutional referendum, and as the international community grows increasingly impatient with President Jovenel Moïse’s inability to contain Haiti’s growing violence.

Haiti emerged from the brutal and dynastic Duvalier dictatorship to democracy 35 years ago. Now, many Haitians fear a return to autocracy as President Jovenel Moise has been steadily amassing power.

Haiti is under enormous pressure from the United States, United Nations, Organization of American States and members of the international community to organize elections as soon as possible. President Jovenel Moise has ruled by decree since January 2020 when the terms of two-thirds of the parliament expired. 

The United Nations Security Council has expressed serious concern about Haiti’s worsening political instability and called for elections to be held this year.

The top UN official in Haiti called Monday for a “democratic renewal” in the troubled Caribbean nation to lift it out of a drawn-out political and humanitarian crisis and put it back on the path to stability and development.

Haitian police fired tear gas on hundreds of protesters who were marching against President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince Wednesday, and attacked journalists covering the demonstration, in the latest clashes to mark the country’s political crisis.

Haitian President Jovenel Moise has retired three Supreme Court justices, two days after announcing a foiled coup attempt. … Haiti’s opposition has insisted for months that President Moise’s term expires on February 7, 2021 according to the constitution and that a transitional government should replace him. … Moise says his term will expire in February 2022, a date accepted by the U.S., United Nations and Organization of American States. … The three judges retired by Moise are in the line of succession.