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Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for immediate national elections in Haiti to establish a legitimate government, emphasizing the need for political stability. Speaking at the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads in Barbados, he stressed that new leadership is essential to restoring governance and law and order. Browne also proposed enhanced security support from the U.S., Canada, and the EU for the Multinational Security Support Mission to combat gang violence.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders began their first full day of deliberations on Thursday, with developments in Haiti—CARICOM’s only French-speaking member—among the key agenda items.
St Kitts and Nevis Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that Haiti was a major topic of discussion at the CARICOM Foreign Affairs Ministers (CARICOF) meeting, which preceded the three-day regional summit.
“I believe the time has definitely come for us to seriously address the Haitian situation, work with the international community, and bring about lasting democratic change for the betterment of the people of Haiti. The way it is now—it cannot continue,” Douglas stated.
“It is not sustainable. We worked on this issue yesterday in our foreign ministers’ meeting, Haiti was a subject of discussion today in plenary, and later this afternoon, it will be addressed in caucus,” he told CMC.
At Wednesday night’s ceremonial opening of the summit, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced his intention to present a new initiative to the UN Security Council aimed at supporting security and stability in Haiti.
“It is my intention to present to the Security Council a proposal similar to the one we have introduced for Somalia, in which the UN assumes responsibility for the structural and logistical expenditures necessary to deploy the force, while salaries are paid through the existing trust fund.
“If the Security Council accepts this proposal, we will finally have the conditions necessary to establish an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy,” Guterres said.
Haiti has been in crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
Criminal gangs have sought to take complete control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, launching multiple attacks and killing civilians, including women and children.
In 2023, the UN Security Council passed a resolution for a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission to combat gang violence and restore stability in Haiti.
Barbados Prime Minister and CARICOM Chair, Mia Mottley, emphasized that the situation in Haiti remains a major concern for the regional bloc.
“It is not going to be sufficient just to say that Haiti will have an election on November 15. It is not going to be enough to merely stabilize the security situation,” Mottley said. She recalled that 30 years ago, when she first entered public life, her then-prime minister’s first trip was to Haiti to address the country’s ongoing crisis.
Douglas, one of the region’s longest-serving prime ministers, believes CARICOM can continue to play a role in ensuring that the elections, as promised, take place in November.
“Haiti deserves proper democratic representation of its people. To a large extent, the Caribbean Community was created and has been consolidated because of what took place in Haiti back in 1804 and 1807, when the first Black Republic was formed,” he noted.
However, he acknowledged that holding elections under the current security conditions will be challenging.
“The Caribbean Community has been very supportive of all initiatives aimed at bringing stability and common sense to the Haitian situation. But efforts must be concerted, with the right players in place. We must appeal to the international community. Some African nations have already committed troops to ensure peace in Haiti. I am confident that stability will be achieved,” Douglas added.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, expressed optimism that elections will proceed as planned in Haiti.
“I believe that having a stable government is a prerequisite for stabilizing Haiti. That would be a welcome development, and CARICOM will certainly provide all the support it can to help Haiti regain stability—politically and otherwise—as quickly as possible,” Browne stated.
Montserrat Premier, Reuben Meade, however, cautioned that Haiti’s challenges are deeply rooted and cannot be solved overnight.
“Haiti is a big, big problem that has persisted for hundreds of years. We’re not going to solve it overnight. No, this meeting alone cannot fix Haiti’s problems,” Meade said.
“Even if they hold elections, what happens next? You have to get rid of the gangs. You have to revive the economy. You have to change the mindset within Haiti. And that’s going to take a long time and a lot of money,” he told CMC.
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Holding national elections in Haiti will not possible in November 2025 as they would like to because they must deal with the gangs before.
Haiti needs stability, but are immediate elections the right solution in the current chaos?
Browne is taking a strong stance, but does CARICOM have the influence to make this happen?
Will Haiti’s political factions even listen?
Will Haiti’s political factions even listen?
The Haitian people must decide their future—external pressure won’t fix deep-rooted issues.
Haiti needs international support, not just speeches from Caribbean leaders. What can browne do for Haiti?
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