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  • New dynamic of cooperation between Haiti and the United Arab Emirates

    New dynamic of cooperation between Haiti and the United Arab Emirates

    On July 15, 2026, amid the ongoing sessions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Ministerial Segment, top diplomatic representatives from Haiti and the United Arab Emirates held a pivotal meeting to map out a new era of bilateral partnership. The discussion, led by Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation Sandra Paulemon and acting UAE Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ghasaq Shaheen, centered on expanding collaboration across multiple high-priority sectors that align with Haiti’s long-term stabilization and development goals.

    Minister Paulemon opened the conversation by welcoming the UAE’s growing engagement with Haiti, highlighting the recent opening of Haiti’s embassy in Abu Dhabi as a landmark milestone in deepening bilateral ties. The appointment of Ambassador François Guillaume II to the post, she noted, formalizes the diplomatic presence that will underpin future cooperation between the two nations.

    During the meeting, Paulemon outlined a clear slate of priority areas where Haitian leaders are seeking Emirati partnership. Key topics included capacity building for the Haitian National Police, a large-scale affordable housing program for both police officers and internally displaced persons, construction of a new 5,000-capacity prison, technology and knowledge transfer in rapid sustainable construction, electrification for public schools and hospitals, and support for Haiti’s national stabilization, economic, social and territorial recovery program.

    Of particular strategic importance, Paulemon emphasized, is the proposed large-scale housing initiative. Beyond addressing the immediate need for low-cost housing to alleviate Haiti’s growing displacement crisis, she argued that Emirati expertise in innovative rapid and sustainable construction would provide a critical opportunity for skills transfer that empowers local Haitian construction firms long into the future.

    Paulemon also formally requested UAE support for Haiti’s upcoming national elections, asking for both financial and technical assistance to strengthen Haitian institutional capacities and ensure a smooth, credible electoral process. She additionally raised the prospect of bilateral budget support to back the Haitian government’s efforts to deliver on its national development priorities.

    In response, Ambassador Shaheen commended the clear, forward-looking vision laid out by the Haitian delegation. She expressed confidence that the opening of the Haitian embassy in Abu Dhabi will mark a new chapter in bilateral relations, creating the framework needed to launch tangible, impactful development projects between the two countries.

    Shaheen committed to relaying Haiti’s cooperation proposals to the UAE’s Ministries of Defense and Interior, specifically regarding potential support for the Haitian National Police, the Haitian Armed Forces, and the proposed prison construction project. She also highlighted the UAE’s major advances in digital technology and online learning, including the country’s ongoing National Data Action Plan public policy initiative, and confirmed the UAE stands ready to share its technical expertise and global experience across a range of strategic sectors for Haiti’s benefit.

    Looking ahead, high-level Haitian officials including Minister Paulemon and Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Raina Forbin will soon travel to the UAE for the official inauguration of the new Haitian embassy in Abu Dhabi. During the visit, the delegation will hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with top Emirati officials including the UAE Minister of International Development and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as other regional leaders. The talks will focus not only on deepening Haiti-UAE ties but also on expanding partnership between Haiti and Gulf states more broadly, identifying new collaboration opportunities and advancing major development projects aligned with Haiti’s national priorities.

    At the conclusion of the ECOSOC sidelines meeting, both parties agreed to continue ongoing discussions with the goal of finalizing a formal cooperation protocol and appointing dedicated focal points to oversee the implementation of the commitments and partnership initiatives agreed during the talks.

  • USA : Bill aimed at blocking immigration from 39 countries, including Haiti

    USA : Bill aimed at blocking immigration from 39 countries, including Haiti

    In a sharp rebuke of longstanding U.S. immigration policy, South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace introduced the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act on July 15, 2026, a piece of legislation that would impose a full entry block on most migrants from 39 low- and middle-income countries spanning the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

    The core justification cited for the sweeping proposal is the consistent refusal of many listed nations to cooperate with U.S. deportation protocols, as well as their failure to share required identifying information needed to complete mandatory background checks for prospective entrants. Highlighted among the targeted countries is Haiti, along with Caribbean and Latin American neighbors Cuba and Venezuela. The African nations included in the ban are Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Rounding out the list are Afghanistan, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Yemen from the Middle East and Asia.

    In remarks accompanying the bill’s introduction, Mace framed the proposal as a long-overdue correction to decades of lax immigration enforcement in Washington. “The American people are done playing games and so are we. For too long, Washington has looked the other way while bad actors exploited every gap in our system and American families paid the price. Those days are over,” Mace said. She doubled down on the restrictive framing, adding, “If you import the third world, you will become the third world. This bill makes crystal clear: entry into the United States is a privilege, not a right. We make absolutely no apologies for defending it.” Later, she emphasized, “We are not a dumping ground for the third world’s problems. This bill is a straightforward solution to keep dangerous aliens out and send a message to every country on this list: the free ride is over.”

    The legislation includes narrow, targeted exceptions to the entry ban, which cover lawful permanent residents who already hold resident status in the U.S.; dual nationals who hold citizenship from a non-designated country; diplomatic staff and personnel aligned with NATO treaty obligations; elite athletes traveling to compete in high-profile international events including the World Cup and Olympic Games; special immigrant visa holders, particularly those who previously served alongside U.S. military forces; and individuals fleeing verifiable ethnic or religious persecution in Iran. The bill also grants the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security discretionary authority to issue waivers for individual cases where entry would serve a confirmed critical U.S. national interest.

    To ensure ongoing congressional oversight, the legislation requires the Secretary of State, working in consultation with the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence, to submit a comprehensive report to Congress every 180 days. These reports will assess whether the entry prohibitions should be extended, adjusted, or expanded to include additional nations.

    Despite its introduction by a sitting congressional representative, the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act has faced widespread criticism from political opponents, and political analysts widely assess that it faces extremely long odds to pass the full Congress. The bill is expected to draw unified opposition from Democratic lawmakers, as well as pushback from a faction of moderate Republicans who have historically supported more flexible immigration frameworks.

  • FLASH : Traveler alert, extreme recommendations

    FLASH : Traveler alert, extreme recommendations

    In a stark update released on July 18, 2026, the Trump administration has issued its highest-level travel warning for all U.S. citizens considering travel to Haiti, placing the Caribbean nation at Level 4 — the agency’s strictest classification that urges all potential visitors to abandon any travel plans entirely.

    What sets this advisory apart from standard high-risk travel warnings is the extraordinary set of precautionary recommendations the State Department has laid out for U.S. citizens who still choose to ignore the do-not-travel order. Among the most chilling guidelines is a formal suggestion that travelers leave DNA samples with their primary medical provider and store full dental records with family members back in the United States. This step is explicitly framed to enable the identification of remains should a traveler die while in the country.

    Beyond the unprecedented preparation for worst-case outcomes, the State Department has outlined a full suite of security and contingency steps for any person who travels to Haiti against its advice. First, all travelers are required to enroll in the department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service that keeps U.S. missions abroad updated on traveler whereabouts to enable faster emergency assistance. Travelers are also urged to build a clear communication plan with loved ones before departure, ensuring they carry functional devices that work on Haitian networks and regularly share real-time location data with trusted contacts.

    Additional contingency planning includes sharing access to critical documents, account logins, and emergency contacts with family members, in the event that a traveler cannot return to the U.S. on schedule. Officials also advise travelers to formalize plans for the care, custody, and inheritance of children, pets, and property, including drafting a will, updating insurance beneficiary designations, and granting power of attorney to a trusted person back home.

    For travelers traveling for work, the State Department recommends collaborating with employers or host organizations to build a personalized security plan, and suggests considering consultation with a private professional security firm to assess risks. Travelers are also instructed to pre-map key emergency resources, including the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate, FBI contact points, and the State Department’s Office of American Citizen Services, as well as local trusted contacts that can assist during a crisis.

    In the event of detention or hostage taking, officials advise travelers to designate a single family point of contact ahead of time and establish a formal proof-of-life protocol, so that contact can verify the traveler’s status and avoid miscommunication during a crisis. Travelers are also told to remove any potentially controversial or provocative content from social media accounts, cameras, laptops, and personal devices, as material that seems harmless could be misinterpreted by local armed groups. All high-value or sentimental personal items should be left behind in the U.S., and travelers are reminded to double-check that their U.S. passports and all other critical travel documents have not expired before crossing into Haiti.

    The extraordinary severity of the advisory underscores the extreme deterioration of security and public order in Haiti, which has grappled with widespread gang violence, political instability, and a collapse of core state functions for years. This Level 4 warning, paired with its unprecedented guidance on remains identification and contingency planning, signals that the U.S. government views travel to the country as an inherently life-threatening risk that no U.S. citizen should take.

  • Leisure : Did you know ? #41

    Leisure : Did you know ? #41

    As part of its popular biweekly general knowledge quiz series, “Did You Know?”, local online media outlet HaitiLibre has shared a fascinating new fact about one of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola’s most critical natural resources: the Artibonite River.

    Stretching roughly 320 kilometers from source to sea, the Artibonite holds the title of the longest waterway on the entire island, which it shares between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The river begins its journey in the Dominican Republic’s Central Mountain Range, crosses the international border into Haitian territory, and eventually drains into the Gulf of Gonâve.

    Far more than just a geographic landmark, the Artibonite River serves as the foundational lifeline of Haiti’s agricultural sector. It provides consistent irrigation for the sprawling Artibonite Plain, Haiti’s top domestic rice growing region that underpins much of the country’s food production. Beyond agriculture, the river also plays a central role in Haiti’s energy sector: the Péligre Dam, constructed along the Artibonite, creates one of the nation’s largest man-made reservoirs and generates a significant share of the country’s electricity supply.

    Despite its outsized importance, the Artibonite River currently faces pressing environmental threats, including widespread siltation that reduces its water capacity and growing pollution from human and industrial waste. Because the river crosses the international border between the two nations that share Hispaniola, coordinated binational management of the waterway remains a core strategic priority for advancing sustainable development and protecting food security for both countries.

    This fun educational fact is the 41st entry in HaitiLibre’s ongoing “Did You Know?” series, which forms a core part of the outlet’s Quiz.HaitiLibre platform. Launched to help audiences build general knowledge about Haitian and global topics, the quiz platform recently completed its monthly content update on July 1, 2026, adding 31 new quiz games to its library. That brings the total number of available quizzes to 180, with new content added on a monthly basis to keep the platform fresh for returning visitors.

    Unlike many online quiz services, Quiz.HaitiLibre offers all of its exclusive games completely free of charge, with no account registration required to play. The platform is designed to accommodate learners of all ages and skill levels, with every quiz offering three distinct difficulty tiers: easy, intermediate, and hard. All content is available in both French and English to serve a broad audience across the Caribbean and the global Haitian diaspora.

    Visitors are invited to explore the full range of quiz topics, test their knowledge, and share the platform with family and friends. Feedback is also encouraged via a simple access form available at the conclusion of every quiz, helping the platform’s developers refine existing content and plan future updates. For new visitors unsure of an answer, the platform frames every incorrect guess as a learning opportunity, encouraging persistence to build new knowledge that audiences can share with their own circles.

  • News : Zapping…

    News : Zapping…

    As Haiti grapples with persistent political instability, gang violence, and ongoing humanitarian challenges, a series of key developments across the country have unfolded in mid-July 2026, spanning public safety, electoral preparations, healthcare support, and humanitarian relief efforts.

    The most devastating development came in the form of coordinated armed gang attacks targeting communities in the suburban areas of Kenscoff and Pétion-Ville, carried out between July 4 and July 9. According to data collected by Haitian human rights organizations and confirmed by United Nations Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on July 16, the violence has claimed at least 61 lives – 14 of which are children. Most of the fatalities were recorded in the Robin neighborhood, where victims were gunned down as they attempted to flee their homes or escape along local roadways.

    This escalation of violence has also driven a sharp increase in the number of internally displaced people across Haiti’s most affected regions. In June alone, sustained attacks pushed more than 5,000 additional people from their homes in Cité Soleil, adding to growing displacement crises in Haiti’s West and Artibonite departments. In the Central department city of Hinche, humanitarian agencies have completed the relocation of 1,491 displaced people who had previously been sheltering in overcrowded, unsanitary school facilities with no privacy and inadequate basic amenities. The new transit camp, operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), provides significantly improved living conditions for the relocated families. The initiative was funded through support from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince and the Joint Regional Humanitarian Fund for Haiti. IOM has also received a shipment of emergency relief supplies from its regional warehouse in Panama via the global Logistics Cluster network, with enough materials to support 5,000 vulnerable families, which will be distributed by local Haitian partner organizations to ensure aid reaches the highest-need communities.

    Amid the ongoing security and humanitarian crises, Haiti’s electoral authorities have moved forward with preparations for upcoming political processes. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced an extension to the political party registration period this month, responding to formal requests from multiple political organizations across the country. Political groups now have until July 31, 2026, to submit their alliance registration documentation at the CEP’s central headquarters in Pétion-Ville, which is open to applicants weekdays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The deadline extension has also pushed the official registration window for pre-electoral political alliances to August 10 through 14, 2026. Separately, on July 15, CEP’s Northern Departmental Electoral Office opened new voter registration operations at the Cap-Haitien Vocational School in Cité Lescot. Eligible citizens looking to register to vote are required to present their original national identification card to complete the process, and can direct questions to two dedicated local phone lines.

    In public health progress, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has donated more than 10 new computing devices to Haiti’s Directorate of Family Health under the Ministry of Public Health, supported by the India-UN Development Partnership Fund in collaboration with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. The computers will be distributed to local health institutions and departmental health directorates across the country, with the core goal of strengthening institutional data management capacity to support Haiti’s national public health strategy to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. The equipment will improve monitoring and evaluation of the initiative by enabling more robust disease surveillance across all levels of the country’s health system.

    In a separate non-crisis development, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) recently hosted a national training workshop for FIFA Connect, FIFA’s global standardized football data management platform. More than 75 stakeholders from across Haiti’s football ecosystem attended the training in-person and via virtual videoconference, where they learned to use the platform’s core features. Most notably, FIFA Connect assigns a unique, permanent FIFA ID to every player, coach, referee, administrative official, club, and youth football academy, enabling consistent, secure, and harmonized data management for Haitian football at all levels.

  • Preparatory steps for the implementation of the new Haiti’s penal code and criminal procedure

    Preparatory steps for the implementation of the new Haiti’s penal code and criminal procedure

    On July 17, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security kicked off a series of preparatory initiatives to roll out the country’s long-awaited new Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, which are set to take legal effect on January 1, 2027. The official launch event, held under the unifying theme “Criminal Reform: A Collective Commitment to a New, Humane Justice System and a More Just Society”, drew a diverse cross-section of attendees, including senior government officials, core judicial system stakeholders, international technical and financial partners, law students, academic representatives from the State University of Haiti, and leaders of local civil society organizations.

    In his opening address, Justice and Public Security Minister Patrick Pélissier delivered a comprehensive progress update on the multiyear criminal legislation overhaul effort. He formally announced the rollout of a targeted train-the-trainer program designed to upskill all levels of judicial personnel across the country, framing the initiative as a non-negotiable foundation for the reform’s successful implementation. Minister Pélissier stressed that modernizing Haiti’s outdated legal framework is a critical prerequisite to boosting the justice system’s overall effectiveness, allowing it to meaningfully address the long-unmet expectations of the Haitian public.

    Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who was represented at the conference by his Chief of Staff, underscored the transformative national significance of the new legal codes. He framed the adoption of the reforms as an assertion of Haitian sovereignty, designed to equip the nation with a judicial system that is aligned with 21st-century standards of efficiency and modernity. “This reform will contribute to consolidating the rule of law, strengthening institutions, and modernizing the judicial system,” the Prime Minister’s statement noted.

    Sabine Boucher, who chairs the Technical Coordination Committee tasked with developing the implementation training program, brought clarity to the cross-sector challenges the reform faces. She emphasized that the overhaul cannot be led exclusively by legal experts, calling for active mobilization of every stakeholder in the justice ecosystem and civil society — including judges, practicing attorneys, law enforcement officers, legal educators, and the next generation of legal professionals. Boucher argued that the quality of a nation’s legal codes cannot be established permanently through a single piece of legislation; instead, they evolve through critical application and informed adjustments, as law is a living structure continuously shaped by real-world practice and reasoned analysis. She closed by reiterating the urgent need to replace Haiti’s current criminal legislation, which dates back nearly 200 years, and adapt the national legal framework to meet the modern legal, social, and institutional needs of the country.

    Patrick Pierre-Louis, president of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, highlighted the dual priorities of comprehensive judicial personnel training and maintaining transparency and credibility throughout the implementation process at the conference. He shared his optimistic expectation that the initiative would deliver tangible, transformative benefits for all of Haitian society.

    Speaking on behalf of the Embassy of Canada in Haiti, Jacob Gateau, Head of Mission and Political Advisor, reaffirmed Canada’s longstanding commitment to supporting Haitian authorities as they advance this rule of law-strengthening reform. Philippe Lamarche, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti, also welcomed the launch of preparatory activities, reiterating UNDP’s commitment to supporting the national reform commission and all local stakeholders involved in implementation. The initiative, he noted, is fully aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, which sets a global target for building inclusive, peaceful societies and strong rule of law institutions.

    As the launch makes clear, the January 1, 2027 entry into force of the new penal and criminal procedure codes marks a historic milestone for Haiti’s judicial system. The reform represents the Haitian government’s formal commitment to building a modern legal framework that delivers justice that is more effective, more humane, and centered on the needs of ordinary citizens.

  • ECOSOC : Minister Paulemon calls for adapting the SDGs to the realities of vulnerable countries

    ECOSOC : Minister Paulemon calls for adapting the SDGs to the realities of vulnerable countries

    In a high-stakes address at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ministerial Panel on July 16, 2026, Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation Sandra Paulemon has issued a clarion call for sweeping reform to the global framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), arguing the current structure fails to account for the unique challenges facing fragile and developing nations.

    The panel, convened to speed up delivery on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, provided Paulemon a platform to lay out a blunt assessment of global progress to date. She warned that advancement toward the 17 shared goals remains woefully inadequate, geographically uneven, and increasingly undermined by the cascading overlapping crises that disproportionately impact low-income and vulnerable states.

    Aligning her remarks with the core governance priorities of Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s administration, Paulemon pushed for a fundamental reimagining of international development financing. “There can be no credible acceleration of the SDGs without economic justice,” she stated. “There can be no sustainable progress without accessible financing, debt relief, equitable access to technology, national capacity building, and reform of the international financial architecture so that developing countries have a stronger voice in global economic governance.”

    At the heart of her proposal is a call for a context-aware redesign of SDG implementation, not a weakening of the global goals themselves. Paulemon argued that revisiting the framework is critical to making it more operational, tailored to individual national circumstances, and responsive to the layered vulnerabilities many developing nations navigate. The SDGs must remain a universal shared ambition, she emphasized, but implementation strategies must directly address the interconnected security, climate, humanitarian, economic, and institutional shocks that constantly destabilize fragile states.

    Paulemon drew specific attention to the Caribbean region, and Haiti in particular, stressing that the multidimensional vulnerability of small island and Caribbean developing states is often overlooked in global financing access mechanisms. For Haiti, she noted, overlapping crises across security, humanitarian, social, economic, and climate domains demand a holistic, integrated response that unifies efforts to restore security, drive recovery, stabilize institutions, advance territorial planning, and unlock productive investments.

    She acknowledged that pervasive insecurity in Haiti has disrupted every sector of daily life, from population mobility and access to public education and health services to market activity, agricultural output, and social cohesion. But Paulemon stressed that Haiti is not approaching the international community only to highlight crisis: the nation comes with a clear, actionable development vision centered on reframing public action around strategic planning, policy coherence, localized implementation, and measurable results.

    True SDG progress, Paulemon argued, must be rooted in local action, embedded at every level from municipal governments and neighborhood communities to production hubs, schools, health centers, local infrastructure projects, and frontline essential services. She outlined Haiti’s immediate national priorities: restoring baseline security conditions, strengthening strategic territorial planning, investing in social and economic infrastructure, expanding job opportunities especially for young people and women, supporting smallholder agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises, bolstering local supply chains, and aligning all external cooperation with Haitian-led national priorities.

    A core demand from Paulemon is greater accountability and effectiveness for international cooperation. She emphasized that external assistance must prioritize strengthening Haitian national institutions rather than sidelining them, and deliver tangible, sustained benefits for the Haitian population. “Haiti needs partners, but above all, structured partnerships that respect its priorities and are capable of supporting national institutions over the long term,” she said.

    Closing her address, Paulemon announced that Haiti plans to launch a national voluntary self-assessment of SDG progress in 2027. The process will evaluate gains made to date, map remaining systemic challenges, and strengthen the integration of the 2030 Agenda into all levels of national development planning.

  • USA : 169 repatriations this week in Cap

    USA : 169 repatriations this week in Cap

    In a sharp escalation of deportation actions targeting Haitian residents in the United States, the second Trump administration has carried out two large-scale repatriation flights within 48 hours this week, dropping 169 deportees at the Cap-Haitien international airport in northern Haiti. The wave of forced returns comes just one week before a major policy change that will put more than 300,000 additional Haitian migrants at risk of deportation.

    The final of the two flights landed at the airport on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Operated under a charter contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the flight carried 74 Haitian returnees, including one pregnant woman whose medical condition has not been publicly disclosed. Local Haitian authorities confirmed that upon arrival, 32 of the 74 returnees were immediately taken into custody and transferred to local prisons due to prior criminal records on file in Haiti. The remaining 42 returnees on the Thursday flight were each given one-time financial assistance of 10,000 Haitian gourdes, roughly equivalent to $70 USD, intended to cover their immediate living costs as they work to reestablish themselves in their country of origin.

    A day earlier on Wednesday, a separate ICE deportation flight departing from Florida had already delivered 95 more Haitian returnees to the same Cap-Haitien location. Among that first group of deportees were 11 women, according to local immigration officials.

    These two back-to-back repatriation flights are widely seen as a precursor to a far larger wave of forced removals set to begin next week. On July 24, 2026, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian immigration program that has allowed hundreds of thousands of Haitians to live and work legally in the US without fear of deportation since 2010 following Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake, is set to expire. Unless a last-minute legal or administrative intervention delays the change, all 300,000+ Haitian TPS holders will lose their protected status immediately, leaving them open to detention and deportation by ICE.

    US federal authorities have already notified the Haitian central government to prepare for sustained increases in repatriation flights once TPS protections lapse. The notification warned that the US expects to operate at least two deportation flights to Haiti every week moving forward. Humanitarian workers report that the vast majority of deportees sent back to Haiti arrive with no more than the personal clothing they are wearing, even if they spent decades building lives, careers and families in the United States.

    Human Rights First, a prominent US-based human rights organization that closely monitors US deportation policies, issued a harsh rebuke of the administration’s actions. “Increasing deportation flights to a country already crippled by rampant gang violence, political collapse and widespread instability, and ripping TPS beneficiaries away from the lives, families and communities they have built in the United States, is a moral abomination,” the organization said in a statement responding to this week’s repatriations.

    The current crisis for Haitian TPS holders follows a series of legal battles that culminated in a US Supreme Court ruling earlier this year upholding the Trump administration’s authority to revoke the long-standing humanitarian protection program. Legal advocacy groups have repeatedly pushed for last-minute reprieves, but as of publication, no extension of TPS protections has been announced.

  • FLASH : Review of Defense Minister Andrésol’s first 100 days

    FLASH : Review of Defense Minister Andrésol’s first 100 days

    On July 17, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Defense released a comprehensive public report reviewing the first 100 days in office of newly appointed Defense Minister Mario Andrésol, covering his tenure from March 4 to June 12, 2026. The document details a series of tangible advances across institutional strengthening, infrastructure development, and global partnership building as the country works to rebuild and solidify its national armed forces.

    One of the most notable early achievements highlighted in the report is the successful integration of 339 new soldiers from the “Capois la Mort” recruit class, a milestone that expands the core ranks of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H). Complementing this integration, a nationwide military recruitment drive launched during this period drew 17,722 total applications from across the country, with more than 24 percent of those submissions coming from women – a marked step toward greater diversity in the country’s military ranks. Ministry officials also completed six formal assessment missions across key military installations, which paved the way for the launch of major rehabilitation projects at three critical bases: Vertières, Anacaona, and Clercine. The upgrades, which focus on improving training facilities, on-base accommodation, and overall operational readiness, are designed to bring these aging facilities in line with modern military operational requirements.

    In addition to infrastructure and personnel gains, the minister’s first 100 days have seen significant progress in updating the institutional foundation of Haiti’s military. Work is in the final stages of drafting a new, updated national military doctrine that will guide the force’s mission, structure, and operating principles for years to come. To ensure broad public input on the future direction of the FAd’H, the ministry announced that it will host a nationwide public forum in August 2026 focused on discussing the collective vision and long-term goals for the armed forces.

    International military cooperation has also emerged as a key priority for Andrésol’s administration, with the report noting renewed momentum in building strategic partnerships with nations across the Americas and Europe. Over the 100-day period, the ministry deepened working relationships with France, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, and a number of other partner countries, unlocking new opportunities for training and capacity building. As a direct outcome of these strengthened ties, Argentina has awarded six full military training scholarships to Haitian service members: two allocated to the Army, two to the Navy, and two to the Air Force. Separately, under the bilateral cooperation agreement with Mexico, 114 recruits drawn from the 665 new members recently integrated at the Vertières base are scheduled to depart for specialized training in Mexico on August 24, 2026.

    Looking ahead, the 100-day report lays out the clear priorities that will guide the FAd’H and the Ministry of Defense through the 2026-2027 Action Plan. These core priorities include continuing the systematic modernization of military infrastructure across the country, finalizing and rolling out the new national military doctrine, further expanding and deepening international defense cooperation, gradually integrating the large pool of new recruits that applied during the recent campaign, and consolidating the overall operational capabilities of the armed forces to better serve national security needs.

    The full 39-page 100-day report, published in French, is available for public download via HaitiLibre’s official website.

  • Zapping Haiti of July 16, 2026

    Zapping Haiti of July 16, 2026

    On July 16, 2026, HaitiLibre published a comprehensive roundup of key political, security, and local developments unfolding across Haiti, one month out from the planned general elections.

    First, the country’s transitional government has formalized the legal foundation for the upcoming vote with two related decrees. An initial Electoral Decree, originally issued on June 2, 2026, lays out the full regulatory framework for every stage of the electoral process, including rules governing voter registration, political party accreditation and participation, polling day procedures, ballot counting, official results announcement, and the process for resolving electoral disputes. To address gaps and refine unclear provisions in the original text, the administration adopted an amending decree on July 2, 2026. Full texts of both documents are available for public download via the HaitiLibre website.

    In local governance news, the Cap-Haïtien Municipal Commission is advancing a city-wide beautification initiative aimed at revitalizing the coastal urban center. The commission has set a July 31 deadline for all residents and property owners to refresh the exterior facades of their homes and businesses as part of the campaign. Michel Saint-Croix, Mayor of Cap-Haïtien and head of the Municipal Commission, recently held consultation sessions with local stakeholders in the city center, focusing on neighborhoods that have already completed street and sidewalk clearing operations. During these gatherings, municipal leadership outlined the official protocols and logistics for free paint distribution to participating residents. In a statement following the meetings, the commission renewed its call for broad public participation, emphasizing that collective engagement is critical to delivering a more vibrant, welcoming city for all.

    On the security front, a critical new agreement has been reached to advance the government’s anti-gang operations, which are key to creating stable conditions for elections. This week, Patrick Pélissier, Haiti’s Minister of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with Jack Christofidès, diplomat and representative of the Gangs Suppression Force (GSF). Under the terms of the deal, all individuals arrested during GSF counter-gang operations across the country, as well as all weapons, ammunition, and tactical equipment seized during these missions, will be transferred to Haitian national authorities. Government officials note that the agreement marks a major step toward strengthening domestic public security capacities and establishing the stable conditions required to hold a free, fair general election.

    Despite these advances, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has confirmed that the long-awaited official electoral calendar will only be published once security conditions show consistent improvement. While announcing the imminent release of the calendar in a recent statement, the prime minister stressed that the actual timeline for voting remains contingent on tangible progress in reducing gang-related violence and stabilizing communities across the country.

    Parallel to domestic electoral preparations, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé is currently leading a high-level official delegation on a diplomatic mission to Washington D.C. The delegation includes James Monazard, Minister of Commerce and Industry, a representative of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, and Georges Sassine, president of the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH). The core goal of the mission is to advocate for the extension of the HOPE/HELP trade act, a trade preference program widely recognized as a foundational pillar of the Haitian economy, particularly for the country’s critical textile export sector.

    To close the roundup, July 16 marked the day after the 73rd birthday of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, born July 15, 1953, in Port-Salut. The Tabarre Municipal Commission issued a formal statement marking the occasion, expressing deep gratitude for Aristide’s lasting contributions to local development in education and healthcare. Through the Dr. Aristide Foundation University (UNIFA) and the Dr. Aristide University Hospital, the former president has expanded access to critical public services for residents of Tabarre. The commission extended its warm wishes for continued good health, peace, and longevity, noting that Aristide’s lifelong work and commitment to Haitian development remain a powerful inspiration for current and future generations of Haitians.