Haiti: Political Leaders Meet With CARICOM

A delegation from CARICOM visited Port-au-Prince to try to rescue the Inter-Haitian Summit, held last June in Jamaica, from failure. The international organization called this meeting "consultation." The euphemism seems to have the purpose of avoiding the predispositions and skepticism that exist in the country with regard to external political initiatives.

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Government representatives, activists, traditional politicians, social leaders, professionals, and representatives of the private sector have been invited to the consultation. The representatives of CARICOM aim to tackle the most vital issues affecting Haiti.

On June 11–13, a wide cross-section of Haitian stakeholders, a microcosm of Haitian society, met in Kingston, Jamaica, at the invitation of the Caribbean Community.

The meeting sought to facilitate inclusive dialogue among Haitian stakeholders in an effort to find a solution to the protracted, multidimensional crisis in which the country has been mired.

The de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, acknowledges in the "consultation" held in Port-au-Prince that there is a willingness on the part of the government to hold this meeting with CARICOM. The delegation is made up, among others, of former ministers of Saint Lucia, the Bahamas, and Jamaica and the ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago, Colin Graderson.

A CARICOM delegation arrived in Port-au-Prince today. The aim of this 3-day official visit is to encourage the Haitian players to pursue the discussions begun last June in Jamaica, in order to bring the country out of its current crisis once and for all.

The consultation is being carried out with members of the High Council of the Transition (HCT), the Democratic and Popular Movement of Haiti. The other political groups did not have representatives at the meeting in Jamaica.

The objective of this meeting is to "implement the commitments assumed in Jamaica," according to the office of the Haitian prime minister.

Making commitments to the few agreements that are scheduled in the framework of the summit. According to observers, the summit in Jamaica was a complete failure, as consensus was not reached.

Another objective of the delegation that participated in the meeting in Port-au-Prince is to provide advice on issues of security, governance, the electoral process, and the planning and promotion of long-term development.

International organizations have also been summoned to reconnect with the parties involved in the consultation and thus be able to restart humanitarian aid programs and support developments. The economy of Haiti has been affected by the latest political and social chaos that the country has gone through.

The loss of democratic order and governance caused the withdrawal or interruption of many aid and assistance programs.

From the United States, Europe, and Asia, the reactivation of a multinational force to help and assist the country has been ensured.

The recently concluded CARICOM summit in Trinidad and Tobago also functioned as a framework for reinforcing the region's commitments to the Haitian crisis.

In spite of the demonstrations of political will from the government side, the opposition considers de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry the main obstacle to solving the political crisis that the country is experiencing.