Haitian bishops call on PM Henry to step aside amid protests

By Lisa Zengarini

The Bishops of Haiti have expressed their deep concern over the violent protests that flared up this week, seeking the removal of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has been in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

The latest spike of violence, which left five dead and several injured and paralyzed the gang-torn Caribbean nation, erupted on Monday with thousands of people demanding Henry step down.

Elections originally expected on 7 February 2024

According to a political agreement concluded in December 2022, the Prime Minister was supposed to hold elections on February 7, 2024, but has remained in power to form a government of national unity. This day is all the more symbolic in Haiti as it marks the anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of the Duvaliers in 1986.

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been in turmoil for years, with armed gangs controlling vast parts of the island, including the capital, and unleashing brutal violence.

The 2021 assassination of Moise has plunged the country further into chaos, and elections have taken place since 2016 with the presidency still remaining vacant.

In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the Haitian Bishops urged the authorities "to immediately put an end to the suffering" of the people of Haiti.

"Enough blood and tears have been shed by murders, kidnappings, and rapes committed over the past three years," the statement said. “We've had enough!”

The bishops then addressed Prime Minister Henry directly, urging him to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, and to make “a wise decision” by stepping aside “for the good of the entire nation," which, they said, “is seriously threatened to its very foundations."

Call to reject violence

While expressing their "closeness and sincere condolences to the families of the victims of recent events," the bishops finally called on Haitians not to yield to violence and to focus their energies on building a better future for Haiti.

"Do not to fall into the trap of violence and fratricidal struggles that trample on our dignity, disfigure our humanity, and dishonour the image of our country," they said. “Let us mobilize all our energies, let us unite and commit ourselves together, with determination, without violence, on the road that will lead us to the new Haiti that we all desire!”

The Haitian bishops have repeatedly pleaded for the restoration of security in Haiti, which has been plagued by escalating gang violence and abductions for years amid an economic crisis and political instability.

Pope Francis joined their plea during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, January 21, after the kidnapping of six nuns in Port-au-Price, who were later released.

Meanwhile, following the latest outburst of violence, the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, announced on Wednesday a "state of alert" and that it was reinforcing its borders with the country.