Carib Scope

标签： Haiti

海地

  • Agriculture : The Ministry is transforming the rural landscape

    Agriculture : The Ministry is transforming the rural landscape

    Haiti’s agricultural sector is undergoing a major transformation through the Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project (PARSA), a World Bank-backed initiative designed to boost food security, upgrade rural infrastructure, and improve living standards for small-scale farming communities across the country. On August 11, 2026, Haiti’s Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, agronomist Marcelin Aubourg, led a delegation of senior agricultural officials on a day-long inspection tour of completed and ongoing PARSA projects in the southern Nippes department, a region where farming forms the economic backbone of 11 local municipalities.

    The tour began in the commune of Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes, where the delegation inspected a state-of-the-art grain storage warehouse constructed by MARNDR for the Network of Agricultural Producer Organizations of Nippes (ROPANIP). Spanning 380 square meters, the facility has a total storage capacity of 580 tons and includes an on-site water reservoir and dedicated product drying area. Built to address longstanding challenges of post-harvest loss, the warehouse will improve grain preservation, strengthen local food supply chains, and ensure consistent stock for school feeding programs across the department.

    From Petite-Rivière-de-Nippes, the delegation traveled to Anse-à-Veau, where they viewed two additional completed infrastructure projects. The first is a new modern rice mill located in the O-Rouck area, built on a 72-square-meter plot with PARSA funding. The mill has a processing capacity of 800 to 1,000 kilograms of rice per hour, eliminating the need for hundreds of local smallholder farmers to travel long distances to process their harvest and cutting post-production costs significantly. During the same stop, Aubourg inspected the upgraded O-Rouck irrigation system, developed under the Resilient Productive Territories (TPR) initiative with support from PARSA. The upgraded infrastructure now provides reliable water access to roughly 50.5 hectares of cultivated farmland, helping farmers mitigate the impacts of climate variability and boost overall crop yields.

    Next, the delegation inspected ongoing rehabilitation work on a critical agricultural access road in the Baquet communal section of Arnaud. The project, being carried out by MARNDR, involves upgrading approximately 800 meters of rural track linking Carrefour Azor to Chalumeau via Morne Katina, alongside the construction of 200 linear meters of concrete verges, a 59.28-meter river ford, and an 84-meter retaining wall. Once completed, the upgraded route will serve as a vital transportation artery, enabling local farmers to move their products more efficiently to the Gros-Bassin regional trade hub and surrounding markets, while also providing a reliable bypass for the Grande Rivière des Nippes during seasonal flooding.

    The tour concluded in the Morne Borga area of L’Asile, where 15 new family water tanks have been constructed as part of PARSA’s community resilience program. The tanks bring a critical source of water within close reach of local households, eliminating the long daily trips community members previously made to collect water and reducing the overall burden of domestic work. Beyond meeting household needs, the tanks enable families to irrigate small-scale Creole kitchen gardens, supporting greater household food security, crop diversification, and resilience to recurring drought events that often disrupt agricultural production in the region.

    As part of the broader national PARSA initiative, these infrastructure investments are targeted at addressing longstanding barriers to agricultural development in rural Haiti: limited access to water, poor transportation connectivity, high post-harvest loss, and low resilience to climate shocks. By upgrading core infrastructure and centering the needs of local producer communities, the project aims to build a more sustainable and food-secure future for rural Haiti.

  • Environment : The climate injustice facing Haiti

    Environment : The climate injustice facing Haiti

    The stark contradiction at the heart of global climate inequality has been laid bare in Haiti, where a nation contributing almost nothing to global greenhouse gas emissions faces some of the deadliest consequences of the climate crisis. Speaking at an August 11 closing workshop in Port-au-Prince focused on advancing Haiti’s national climate commitments, Xavier Michon, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti, spelled out the full scale of the climate injustice the Caribbean nation confronts. With Haiti responsible for just 0.02% of the world’s total historical greenhouse gas emissions, its outsized exposure to climate breakdown stands as one of the most glaring examples of global climate inequity today.

    While Haiti’s contribution to global warming remains negligible by any global measure, the impacts of the climate crisis are already accelerating and devastating across the country. The nation now faces increasingly powerful and destructive hurricanes, more frequent extreme flooding, prolonged crippling droughts, widespread agricultural losses that threaten food security, and billions in cumulative economic damage that has derailed long-term development efforts.

    Against this backdrop, investing in proactive climate disaster prevention is not an optional luxury for Haiti, but an urgent strategic priority, Michon argued. He reminded attendees of the proven cost-benefit of early action: every one dollar invested in risk reduction and prevention can avoid up to seven dollars in post-disaster recovery and economic losses, a ratio that makes proactive climate action one of the most impactful investments for vulnerable nations.

    For the past 18 months, Haiti’s Ministry of the Environment, UNDP, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) have collaborated on a targeted initiative to support Haiti in delivering on its existing Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) — the national climate action plan countries submit under the Paris Agreement. Beyond on-the-ground climate activities, the partnership focused on strengthening national institutional capacity, improving climate governance frameworks, and building an inclusive dialogue platform that brings together central government ministries, local government authorities, civil society organizations, private sector stakeholders, and international technical and financial partners.

    Through a series of national stakeholder consultations, targeted technical working workshops, and the completion of eight key strategic policy deliverables, the project has laid a more solid foundation for climate action that is more coherent, better coordinated across government and non-government actors, and far more effective in delivering tangible results on the ground.

    Marco Antonio Peñín Toledano, Spanish Ambassador to Haiti, emphasized that the lasting legacy of international climate support projects extends far beyond the initial funding mobilized. “The true legacy of a project lies not only in the funding mobilized, but also in the skills transferred, the institutions strengthened, and the partnerships that endure,” he noted during the workshop.

    Valéry Fils-Aimé, Haiti’s Minister of the Environment, called for global and national actors to turn formal climate commitments into tangible, on-the-ground results for Haitian communities. As Haiti begins work on developing its third iteration of national climate commitments, NDC 3.0, he stressed that stronger national ownership of climate action is critical to turning climate policy into a core driver of inclusive, long-term sustainable development for the country.

    Beyond the formal assessment of the 18-month project, the Port-au-Prince workshop brought a pressing global reality into sharp focus: for the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, climate justice requires more than just global recognition of their disproportionate vulnerability. It demands sustained investment in capacity building, institutional strengthening, and proactive risk reduction that empowers these nations to anticipate climate impacts, adapt to irreversible changes, and act before disasters strike — rather than scrambling to respond after catastrophe unfolds.

  • Football : The FHF wants international matches to return to Haiti

    Football : The FHF wants international matches to return to Haiti

    After more than five years of being barred from hosting international football matches on home soil, Haiti is taking concrete steps to reverse this exclusion, with the country’s football governing body spearheading efforts to meet international stadium standards set by regional confederation CONCACAF.

    Earlier this week, Haiti’s Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) gathered nearly 60 sports journalists for a detailed briefing focused on the newly released CONCACAF Stadium Guidelines for the 2026-2027 cycle, held at the ministry’s Frères headquarters with Sports Minister Pythagore Dumas in attendance. The meeting was structured to clarify the roadmap for upgrading domestic infrastructure to meet the requirements needed to welcome international teams back to Haitian territory.

    Opening the session, Belizaire Gabrie, coordinator of MJSAC’s Studies and Programming Unit, walked reporters through core project management fundamentals critical to the infrastructure upgrade effort. Key topics included the link between project scope and budget allocation, sequential phases for rolling out public sports investment projects, and defined roles for all participating government and sports institutions. Gabrie also emphasized clarity around common misconceptions, drawing clear distinctions between a project’s initial announcement, official validation, secured funding, and the actual start of construction work.

    Following the introductory project management overview, the briefing turned to the full breakdown of CONCACAF’s 2026-2027 stadium requirements, the mandatory checklist all venues must pass to earn hosting approval for international matches.

    Haiti’s five-year ban on hosting home fixtures traces back to two high-profile violent incidents that eroded international confidence in the country’s security for visiting teams. In January 2021, at the second leg of the Haitian national championship final between Violette AC and Arcahaie FC at Park Saint-Yves, widespread violent unrest left at least two people dead and multiple others injured. Just two months later, in March 2021, the bus transporting the Belize men’s national football team through Haiti was targeted in an attack by armed assailants. That incident prompted the Belize Football Association to formally demand enhanced security guarantees from CONCACAF and global governing body FIFA, cementing the decision to block Haiti from hosting future home matches.

    Despite the extended pause, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) remains committed to bringing national team football back to home fans. Officials have identified Park Saint-Victor in the northern city of Cap-Haïtien as the leading candidate to host future international matches, primarily due to the city’s significantly more stable security landscape compared to the violence-plagued Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Cap-Haïtien already holds two key advantages that meet CONCACAF requirements: the city is home to multiple hospitals and hotels that meet the international standards needed to host visiting teams and match officials.

    Still, a number of critical upgrades remain to be completed before CONCACAF can grant hosting approval. Required improvements span core venue infrastructure: the playing pitch, player locker rooms, spectator seating and bleachers, field lighting for night matches, and overall stadium surrounding environment. If these upgrades are completed on schedule, Haitian football fans could soon see their national team compete on home soil for the first time in more than half a decade.

  • Leisure : Did you know ? #49

    Leisure : Did you know ? #49

    Haiti-based digital publisher HaitiLibre has marked a major expansion of its popular educational quiz platform, announcing that 30 new knowledge games were added to the service on August 1, 2026, pushing the total number of available quizzes to 210. The platform, which releases fresh content on a monthly rolling update schedule, features its signature twice-weekly “Did You Know?” series, which shares little-known facts across global and local topics to build public general knowledge.

    In the 49th installment of this series, the quiz explores the history of a iconic traditional garment, posing a question to audiences: which single-piece rectangular garment with a central head opening traces its origins to the Andes Mountains?

    The answer reveals the deep indigenous roots of the poncho, a garment that has been woven by Andean communities for centuries. Historically crafted from warm, durable alpaca or llama wool, the poncho’s minimalist design strikes a perfect balance for Andean life: it provides robust thermal insulation to protect wearers from the region’s freezing high-altitude temperatures, while leaving arms unconstrained for agricultural work and daily movement.

    Beyond its practical function, the poncho carries profound cultural meaning for Andean indigenous peoples across Peru, Bolivia, and neighboring South American nations. Artisans traditionally weave intricate geometric patterns and vibrant, natural dyes into each piece, with motifs that carry narratives of the community’s history, values, and ancestral identity. Today, the poncho stands not just as a functional clothing item, but as a powerful symbol of indigenous cultural pride and resistance against cultural erasure.

    HaitiLibre’s quiz platform is designed to be accessible to audiences of all age groups, with three difficulty tiers—easy, intermediate, and expert—for every quiz topic. All games are offered completely free of charge, require no user registration, and are available in both French and English to serve a broad cross-section of users. Visitors to the platform can explore hundreds of quizzes covering everything from Haitian history and culture to global general knowledge, with the expert section catering to curious audiences seeking more challenging trivia.

    The publication encourages users to share the platform with friends and family, and invites feedback via a comment form included at the end of every quiz to help shape future updates. As the platform continues to grow its library with 30 new games added monthly, it remains a go-to free resource for anyone looking to expand their general knowledge and learn new, little-known facts across a wide range of topics.

  • Hurricane season, the MARNDR is working in Ravine Sèche (Torbeck)

    Hurricane season, the MARNDR is working in Ravine Sèche (Torbeck)

    As hurricane season brings heightened risk of extreme weather and flooding across Haiti, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) has ramped up targeted risk-reduction interventions in vulnerable rural communities in Haiti’s southern region.

    In the 4th communal section of Péan, located within the commune of Torbeck, MARNDR is leading riverbank stabilization work along roughly 750 linear meters of Ravine Sèche through the Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project (PARSA), an initiative backed by World Bank funding. The core goal of the infrastructure upgrade is to shield local residents and protect critical agricultural land from destructive erosion and flooding triggered by heavy seasonal downpours.

    Construction progress is already well advanced: project teams have installed more than 600 linear meters of reinforced gabion retaining walls, a structural solution designed to shore up eroding riverbanks, cut down on sediment loss, and lower the risk of catastrophic damage to adjacent farmland and local infrastructure.

    During an official inspection visit to the construction site, Agriculture Minister Marcelin Aubourg stressed that the project directly responds to longstanding safety concerns raised by local residents of Péan. He went on to highlight the significant agricultural potential of the Torbeck region, calling out the nearby Leblanc farm as a particularly valuable high-productivity agricultural site. Aubourg expressed public satisfaction with the pace and quality of work completed to date, commended the contracting firm for its on-the-ground efforts, and reaffirmed that the finished infrastructure will substantially reduce the harm extreme weather events inflict on the local community.

    Acknowledging the persistent threat that unregulated erosion of Ravine Sèche poses to the area, Aubourg also issued a public call for residents to remain vigilant and help protect the new infrastructure. He specifically warned against the removal or relocation of gabion stones by bad actors, a practice that would compromise the structural integrity of the riverbanks and put the entire community at risk.

    For local families that have lived alongside the unprotected ravine for years, the ongoing construction has been met with widespread relief and cautious optimism. For generations, these communities have faced repeated disruption to their farming operations and livelihoods from annual flooding and erosion, and the riverbank protection project marks the first concrete intervention to address this chronic threat.

    Beyond the long-term safety and food security benefits the finished works will deliver, the project has already generated immediate economic gains for local households. Dozens of area residents have been hired to support construction activities, giving them access to on-the-job income while the project progresses, creating a dual benefit for the rural community.

  • Extension of the HOPE/HELP law passed in the US Senate but…

    Extension of the HOPE/HELP law passed in the US Senate but…

    In a key development for U.S.-Caribbean trade relations, the U.S. Senate has passed its revised version of an interim funding resolution that would extend the duty-free access provisions of the HOPE/HELP trade programs for Haitian textiles for an additional two years. The legislation now heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives for a final vote, after the Senate introduced last-minute changes that require new legislative approval when members reconvene from recess in September 2026. Once the House signs off on the amended text, the bill will be forwarded to President Trump to be signed into law.

    Originally, the bill to extend the HOPE/HELP programs sailed through the House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan margin, with 340 votes in support and only 54 votes opposing the measure. The two-year extension is framed as a stopgap measure designed to preserve existing industrial trade partnerships between the U.S., Haiti, and regional supply chain partners, while giving private sector stakeholders time to plan for a more permanent, long-term reauthorization of the trade preference program.

    U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat and senior member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, who was a leading advocate for the extension, framed the approval as a mutually beneficial outcome for both U.S. consumers and regional trading partners. “This extension is a win-win for Georgians and our trading partners in Haiti and Africa,” Warnock said in a statement following the Senate vote. “It will lower the cost of everyday goods for American families and improve our national security by helping stabilize the economies of our global partners. This victory shows what is possible when we center the people in policymaking.”

    Industry leaders across the Caribbean have welcomed the Senate’s action, noting that the decades-old HOPE/HELP programs are foundational to the Haitian manufacturing and apparel sector, which is deeply integrated into regional supply chains that extend to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Capellán Peralta, president of the M/CODEVI Group, a major player in the regional textile industry, called the Senate’s approval an important step forward for securing long-term program continuity.

    Even with the positive progress, Peralta and other industry stakeholders are pushing for a far longer 10-year extension of the program, arguing that a multi-decade reauthorization is critical to attracting new foreign direct investment, creating sustained formal employment across the region, and boosting the overall competitiveness of the Caribbean apparel manufacturing sector. Until the House completes its final vote on the amended legislation, the future of the extension remains formally unresolved.

  • FAd’H : Towards the creation of a Special Forces Unit

    FAd’H : Towards the creation of a Special Forces Unit

    Top leadership from Haiti’s Armed Forces (FAd’H) gathered for a high-stakes working session at the country’s Ministry of Defense on December 8, 2026, chaired by Defense Minister Mario Andrésol. The meeting focused on aligning key strategic priorities to modernize Haiti’s military and boost its operational capacity, amid ongoing efforts to stabilize the country’s security landscape.

    Four core strategic pillars anchored the discussions, starting with improvements to recruit training. Military leaders reviewed the current progress of personnel undergoing basic and advanced training, and approved upgrades to logistical infrastructure and support systems that serve new recruits, addressing longstanding gaps in resource provision for trainee development.

    A second key priority centered on structural optimization of the armed forces. Leaders agreed to strengthen existing institutional mechanisms to streamline program delivery, cut bureaucratic inefficiencies, and boost the overall effectiveness of FAd’H’s core missions across the country.

    Third, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing and solidifying existing strategic international partnerships. International military cooperation has been a key component of Haiti’s efforts to rebuild its security capacity in recent years, and the meeting underscored that this collaboration will remain a central focus of the FAd’H moving forward.

    The most notable operational initiative announced during the session is the launch of a major new project: the establishment of a dedicated Special Forces Unit to be based at Base Vertières. This specialized unit is explicitly designed to dramatically enhance Haiti’s military rapid intervention capabilities, a critical upgrade for responding to acute security threats across the country.

    In addition to these strategic priorities, the meeting also established new, enhanced coordination protocols between the Ministry of Defense and FAd’H High Command. The new framework is intended to improve monitoring of ongoing operations and create greater institutional synergy between civilian defense leadership and military command.

    Finally, Minister Andrésol provided an official update on preparations for a landmark three-day forum focused on the future of Haiti’s armed forces, scheduled to take place August 21 through 23, 2026. The forum is intended to open space for inclusive dialogue and strategic reflection among stakeholders about the long-term trajectory and role of Haiti’s military institution.

  • Technology : Roadmap for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Haiti

    Technology : Roadmap for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Haiti

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely regarded as the most transformative disruptive technology of the 21st century, with industry analysts projecting its global economic and societal impact will match the combined influence of the Industrial Revolution’s electrification and the 1990s rise of the internet. For the first time in modern history, advanced cognitive capabilities are becoming broadly accessible, deployable at low cost, and available to communities across every income level. Recognizing both the transformative opportunities and the governance challenges of this technological shift, four Haitian institutions have formalized a historic partnership to craft the country’s first national plan for responsible AI integration.

    On August 10, Banj, which leads the ProIA project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), joined with the Internet Society Haiti Chapter (ISOC Haiti), the Higher School of Infotronics of Haiti (ESIH), and the Association for Responsible AI (ARAI) to sign a collaboration agreement for the co-development of Haiti’s national AI adoption roadmap. The signed protocol outlines clear working methodologies, role assignments, and decision-making frameworks for the cross-institutional initiative, establishing operational coordination between partners without creating binding financial obligations or formal contractual relationships.

    Each partner brings unique, complementary expertise to the project. Banj serves as the lead organization for the ProIA initiative, under the direction of Marc Alain Boucicault. ISOC Haiti, led by Max Larson Henry, is the author of a foundational reference guide for AI rollout in resource-constrained nations. ESIH, represented by Patrick Attié, contributes academic and technical infrastructure to the effort, while ARAI, led by Sindy Obed, brings global expertise in ethical AI governance. All partners commit to contributing their institutional knowledge, professional networks, and specialized skills, and will share project deliverables to advance collective progress.

    The core shared vision uniting the four organizations is that Haiti’s AI integration must be guided by principles of national sovereignty, responsibility, practicality, and gradual progress. The roadmap will be built on Haiti’s existing domestic technical capacities, and adapted from global lessons learned to fit the specific context of resource-limited developing nations. To lay the groundwork for the final roadmap, partners unveiled two preliminary foundational documents during the agreement signing event.

    The first document, *Mapping the AI Ecosystem in Haiti*, marks the first-ever comprehensive survey of Haiti’s emerging AI sector. It structures the national ecosystem into 8 actor groups organized across three functional layers: Foundations (encompassing the public sector, digital infrastructure, and data management), Drivers (including education and research, private sector entrepreneurship, and venture capital), and Amplifiers (covering the Haitian diaspora, civil society, media, and the broader enabling environment). The mapping identifies more than 40 distinct active stakeholders, each with a clearly defined role within the ecosystem, and outlines 8 high-priority sectors for targeted AI adoption: health, agriculture, fintech, education, disaster risk management, commerce, public governance, and energy.

    The second preliminary document, *The International Reference Guide for Developing a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy in Resource-Limited Countries*, was co-created by ISOC Haiti, ESIH, and ARAI with support from ProIA. Designed for use by policymakers and international donor organizations, the guide addresses a critical gap in global AI governance: how can low-resource nations proactively and responsibly guide AI development without waiting to build advanced capacities they do not currently hold?

    The guide promotes an agile governance model centered on learning through pilot experimentation, rapid iteration, and continuous policy adjustment. It is structured around five core components: a strategic framework built on two critical foundations (robust data governance and strengthened institutional capacity), a phased implementation architecture with clear accountability mechanisms, targeted prioritization of high-impact AI use cases, proportionate ethical governance anchored by a national AI focal point, and a continuous system for monitoring, evaluation, and learning. It is not a technical manual, a one-size-fits-all solution catalog, or a proposal for large-scale capital investment; rather, it is a practical public governance tool that draws on on-the-ground Haitian experience and successful models from Rwanda, Benin, and Egypt. It is also aligned with Haiti’s 2025–2035 National Digital Strategy (SNNH) and UNESCO’s regional AI roadmap for the Caribbean.

    A dedicated cross-institutional working group, led by ESIH’s Patrick Attié as coordinator and Ben-Manson Toussaint as deputy coordinator, will steer the roadmap development process. Working group members also include Marc Arold Rosemond, Christelle Vaval, Schallum Pierre, and Luckny Zéphyr.

    Both preliminary documents are classified as “living documents,” meaning they remain open for input and revisions from all Haitian AI ecosystem stakeholders ahead of finalization. All interested groups — including public and private sector institutions, educational providers, civil society organizations, media outlets, Haitian diaspora members, and independent AI experts — are invited to submit feedback and recommendations via procedures that will be announced through ProAI’s official communication channels.

    The ProAI initiative, formally launched on March 11, 2026, is the Program for Creating Digital Opportunities in Haiti through AI. It is organized by the Inter-American Development Bank and led by Banj as a three-year national platform for AI research, skills training, and public outreach. Structured around four core pillars, ProAI focuses on AI workforce development, building a national connected AI network, running national public awareness campaigns, and developing the national AI adoption roadmap that the current partnership advances. By the end of its three-year mandate, ProAI aims to train at least 125 Haitian professionals in AI-relevant skills, establish a cross-sector network connecting developers, government institutions, policymakers, academics, and diaspora experts, and run three national AI literacy campaigns.

    ARAI, the Association for Responsible AI, is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing ethical, safe, and human-centered AI development and deployment. Founded in Dayton, Ohio, U.S., ARAI unites a global community of experts, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, private companies, and civil society groups to promote AI governance frameworks rooted in transparency, fairness, accountability, and universal human rights. Beyond developing global standards and advocating for responsible practice, ARAI supports AI research and innovation, builds governance frameworks, industry standards, certification pathways, and professional training programs, and raises public awareness of both the opportunities and risks of AI adoption and its broader societal impacts. The organization also contributes to global AI policy discussions and supports public and private institutions worldwide in transitioning to responsible AI use.

  • Elections : 5 out of 15 political groups approved by the CEP are led by women

    Elections : 5 out of 15 political groups approved by the CEP are led by women

    As Haiti prepares for its upcoming general elections, a landmark milestone for gender representation in national politics has emerged, after the country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) released its official list of qualified political groups for the vote. Of the 15 coalitions and political organizations granted approval to contest the elections, five are headed by women – accounting for 33% of all registered participating groups.

    On Monday, August 10, 2026, Pédrica Saint Jean, Haiti’s Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF), publicly praised the CEP’s publication of the list, framing the gender breakdown as a tangible win for years of advocacy aimed at breaking down barriers to women’s political leadership.

    Saint Jean linked this progress directly to commitments forged at the National Conference on Women’s Political Participation and Electoral Violence, held in December 2025. The MCFDF emphasized that the growing share of women leading officially registered political structures proves that targeted advocacy work is driving meaningful change toward more gender-equitable participation in Haiti’s democratic governance.

    The five women-led approved groups bring together a total of 53 separate political parties across the Haitian political landscape. The full breakdown of these coalitions is as follows:
    – *DEBLOKE*, headed by general coordinator Marie Yanick Mézile Lhérisson, comprises 11 member political parties
    – *EN AVANT POUR HAITI*, represented by Vilcé Nancy, is made up of 12 parties
    – *LAPEH AK ALYE’L YO*, led by Marie Nelly Verpile Boyer, includes 10 participating parties
    – *ANFÒS POU SOVE LONÈ*, represented by former senator Gilles Cemephise, counts 10 parties among its members
    – *DELIVRANS*, represented by Djina Guillet Délatour, is a coalition of 10 parties

    The full list of all 15 approved political groups is available for public download via HaitiLibre at the link: https://haitilibre.com/docs/groupements-politiques-agrees-08-08-2026.pdf

    In conjunction with welcoming the announcement, Minister Saint Jean issued an urgent nationwide appeal to Haitian women: she called on large numbers of women to complete their voter registration, stand as candidates for a wide range of elected public offices, and engage actively at every stage of the upcoming electoral process.

    Saint Jean also reaffirmed her ministry’s ongoing commitment to supporting women entering the democratic process, offering full backing for women candidates and participants as they navigate the election cycle. She closed by expressing confidence that broad, determined citizen mobilization will pave the way for a far more inclusive and equitable political landscape in Haiti following the elections.

  • FLASH : Increase in public transport fares (price list)

    FLASH : Increase in public transport fares (price list)

    In an official announcement released to the public on August 11, 2026, Haiti’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Marc Elie Nelson confirmed that the country is implementing an across-the-board increase to public transportation fares, a policy change that comes directly on the heels of an upward revision to national fuel prices.

    The new fare adjustment follows Joint Notice 25-26/006, issued jointly by Haiti’s Ministries of Economy and Finance, Commerce, and Industry, which established updated pricing for all petroleum products across the country effective August 10, 2026. With fuel costs making up a major operational expense for public transit providers, government officials determined that a corresponding adjustment to passenger fares was unavoidable to align with the new energy market conditions.

    The revised pricing structure covers all public transit routes nationwide. Full details of the new fares are published in a 14-page French-language PDF document available for public download, alongside a reference copy of the previous fare schedule implemented in July 2026.

    On August 10, the day the new fuel prices took effect, Minister Nelson joined Guerline Jean-Louis, Director of the Department of Labor, for a press conference hosted by Lucien Jura, Secretary of State for Communication, to walk the public and press through the reasoning behind both the energy and transit price changes.

    Minister Nelson emphasized that the decision to set standardized national fares was made in full consultation and agreement with Haiti’s driver unions. He explained that the primary goal of the official fare adjustment is to preempt potential disputes and conflicts between transport operators and passengers that could arise from unregulated price hikes following the fuel increase. He also noted that domestic fuel price movements continue to track closely with shifts in global crude oil markets, a dynamic that leaves import-dependent Haiti with little choice but to adjust domestic prices to match international trends.

    For his part, Secretary Jura traced the latest fuel price increase to renewed geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has driven a sustained upward trend in global oil prices. He pointed out that this latest adjustment marks the first upward revision after three consecutive cuts to domestic fuel prices, adding that regular government intervention in fuel pricing is designed to prevent critical shortages in Haiti’s domestic market and crack down on unregulated black market activity for fuel.