Ariel Henry, the prime minister of Haiti, announced on March 12 that he would formally step down as soon as the Caribbean country established a presidential transitional council. Following months of pressure from the international world to find a solution for a nation overrun by gangs and under danger from kingpin Jimmy Cherizier, the Haitian leader finally gives in with his choice.
According to political commentators, Haiti is presently going through one of the most sensitive periods in its recent history because of the broad crisis that has resulted in a low-level civil war in the nation.
Henry’s remark came only hours after a group of state representatives, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and many leaders from the Caribbean, convened in Jamaica to deliberate on the ongoing situation in Haiti. Henry said in a video speech that upon the transition council’s official installation, both he and his administration will step down right away. In addition, he expressed gratitude to the electorate for granting him the chance to govern the nation and urged all Haitians to maintain composure while exerting every effort to bring about the earliest possible restoration of security and peace.
Some accounts state that because Cherizier, a vicious gang leader and former police officer, led a significant surge of violence, the government of Haiti has blocked all of its airports, making it impossible for the Haitian leader to visit his nation. According to the local media, he goes as “Barbecue” on the streets since he typically kills his victims by burning them.
Henry was not allowed to land in the Dominican Republic because, according to officials there, the Haitian leader lacked the necessary flight plan. As a result, Henry is presently in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the Dominican Republic’s government said in a statement that it would stop allowing planes to or from Haiti to use its airspace. Since the adoption of the Haitian Constitution in 1987, Henry has held the position of prime minister for the most total number of terms of any previous Haitian leader.
