标签： Haiti

As Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness concludes his tenure as CARICOM president, he has outlined significant regional accomplishments while emphasizing the Caribbean community’s intensified focus on Haiti’s stabilization. The leadership transition, scheduled for January with Saint Kitts and Nevis assuming the pro tempore presidency, marks a pivotal moment for regional cooperation.

In his valedictory address, Holness highlighted several landmark achievements during his presidency. The Caribbean Community demonstrated exceptional solidarity during Hurricane Melissa, showcasing the region’s collective disaster response capabilities. A historic integration milestone was reached with Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines implementing full free movement of citizens among themselves since October 1, 2025. This ‘concentric circles’ approach mirrors successful integration models globally, enabling willing nations to deepen cooperation while maintaining flexibility for other members to join when prepared.

Haiti emerged as a central focus of CARICOM’s diplomatic efforts, with sustained advocacy resulting in substantial international engagement. The community’s persistent diplomacy contributed to the UN Security Council establishing a Gang Suppression Force (GSF), partially funded by United Nations resources including equipment, infrastructure, and logistical support. CARICOM has now become an essential partner in the tripartite coordination of the Organization of American States’ Roadmap toward Stability and Peace in Haiti, with optimistic projections for free and fair elections in 2026.

The Caribbean Community reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace, grounded in respect for international law and peaceful conflict resolution. While acknowledging that member states may occasionally express divergent national perspectives, Holness emphasized that such diversity strengthens rather than weakens the community’s collective mandate, economic interdependence, and organic people-to-people connections that transcend temporary challenges.

In a decisive move to combat rampant gang violence, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé spearheaded a high-level security summit at the National Police headquarters in Clercine on December 28, 2025. The strategic meeting assembled key security officials including Justice Minister Patrick Pélissier, Public Security Secretary Mario Andrésol, and Acting Police Director Vladimir Paraison, signaling an unprecedented coordinated response to the nation’s security crisis.

The gathering marked the formal activation of a tripartite security offensive involving Haiti’s National Police (PNH), Armed Forces (FAd’H), and specialized Gang Suppression Unit (FRG). This coordinated mobilization represents the most comprehensive security operation undertaken against armed criminal networks that have destabilized the nation.

During the strategic briefing, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé officially acknowledged critical international support from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, which has provided 25 armored personnel carriers to enhance operational capabilities. This tactical equipment is expected to significantly improve officer protection and intervention effectiveness in high-risk operations.

The Prime Minister delivered an unequivocal declaration of the government’s stance: “Our combat targets criminal elements exclusively. Our mission is national security restoration. The state will neither compromise nor negotiate with those who threaten public safety.” He emphasized that the newly acquired assets would enable systematic reclaiming of gang-controlled territories and establish sustainable security frameworks.

Concluding the address, Fils-Aimé positioned security restoration as the foundational prerequisite for constitutional normalization, announcing that 2026 would be dedicated to organizing democratic elections and revitalizing Haiti’s republican institutions.

In a landmark address at Paris’ prestigious Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Dieuseul Prédélus, Rector of Haiti’s State University and President of the Haitian National Committee for Restitution and Reparation (CNHRR), presented a compelling case for historical justice regarding what he termed Haiti’s “double debt” imposed by France in 1825.

Addressing academics, students, diaspora members, and distinguished guests, Prédélus delivered an emotionally charged speech that traced Haiti’s two-century struggle for dignity and reparations. He recounted how Haiti, having achieved independence through bloodshed, was subsequently forced under threat of French naval invasion to pay massive indemnities to its former colonizers—creating what he described as a “moral absurdity” where a liberated people had to pay to avoid re-enslavement.

The financial burden, contracted through what Prédélus characterized as “usurious” French banking interest rates, trapped the Caribbean nation in a century-long debt spiral that permanently crippled its development prospects. The CNHRR president emphasized that Haiti’s demand constitutes neither charity nor revenge but rather “an act of basic justice” grounded in contemporary international law and UN principles regarding crimes against humanity.

Prédélus cited current estimates valuing the debt between $21-115 billion in today’s terms, posing a fundamental moral question: “How can one demand that a people pay for their liberation from a crime against humanity?”

The address acknowledged evolving attitudes in France, including the emergence of a new generation willing to confront historical truths, the establishment of a joint Franco-Haitian historical commission, and the French National Assembly’s June 2025 resolution encouraging governmental consideration of restitution pathways.

Outlining the CNHRR’s 2026 roadmap, Prédélus issued a passionate appeal for national unity and diaspora mobilization, framing the restitution struggle as transcending political and generational divisions. He positioned reparations not as historical score-settling but as an opportunity to build a more just future—for Haiti’s regained dignity and development possibilities, and for the international community to redress profound historical injustice.

The speech concluded with a solemn call for global solidarity around what Prédélus characterized as a fundamental matter of historical justice and human dignity.

In a significant move to reinforce Haiti’s security infrastructure, the United States has delivered 25 armored personnel carriers to the Haitian National Police (PNH). The handover ceremony occurred on December 27, 2025, at the National Port Authority (APN) headquarters, where Acting PNH Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Paraison and senior officials formally received the tactical vehicles.

The donation, facilitated through the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), represents a strategic enhancement to Haiti’s law enforcement capabilities. These armored vehicles are specifically designed to improve operational effectiveness in high-risk zones while providing critical protection for police units during interventions.

Commander Paraison expressed official gratitude for the American contribution, acknowledging the continued partnership between the two nations. The equipment transfer occurs within the framework of bilateral cooperation emphasizing professional law enforcement standards, institutional autonomy, and operational security.

This substantial logistical support demonstrates Washington’s commitment to assisting Port-au-Prince in its ongoing struggle against armed gangs and terrorist elements that have destabilized the country. The armored vehicles are expected to enable more balanced tactical deployment nationwide while increasing the mobility and safety of Haitian police forces operating in dangerous environments.

In a significant stride toward administrative modernization, Haiti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has officially launched a comprehensive digital retirement portal designed to transform how public servants manage their pension benefits. The innovative platform, accessible at https://dpc.mef.gouv.ht/, represents a cornerstone of the national digitalization policy for public services.

The initiative was formally introduced during an information session held in Les Cayes on November 28, where a delegation led by Ms. Ester Musac, Director of Civil Service Pensions, engaged with public employees from the Nippes, Grand’Anse, and South departments. The event, themed ‘Understanding Retirement: Meaning, Preparation, and Challenges,’ provided crucial guidance on retirement planning while demonstrating the new digital tools.

This technological advancement enables civil servants and retirees to perform multiple functions electronically, including tracking pension file statuses, updating personal information, and receiving secure notifications. The system covers various pension-related procedures such as registration, transfer requests, and survivor’s pension applications.

Ms. Musac emphasized the portal’s significance, stating: ‘This portal exemplifies our commitment to creating a more efficient, citizen-centric administration. We aim to ensure every retiree can access their information with ease and security.’ The digital solution not only enhances transparency by allowing real-time file monitoring but also reduces administrative delays, minimizes physical travel requirements, and improves data management efficiency.

This development marks a pivotal advancement in Haiti’s public service reform agenda, demonstrating the government’s dedication to leveraging technology for improved citizen services and more effective retirement management systems.