Haiti’s Leader Warns of Looming Crisis Due to Trump’s Policies

Haiti’s leader raises concerns over a potential crisis stemming from former U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies, citing economic and social implications for the Caribbean nation.

Leslie Voltaire, who leads Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, has cautioned that the Trump administration’s recent actions—particularly freezing aid programs, deporting migrants, and preventing refugees from entering the country—will lead to “catastrophic” outcomes for Haiti.

In an interview with The Associated Press in Rome on Saturday, after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, Voltaire voiced his concern that losing U.S. humanitarian aid would significantly exacerbate Haiti’s already dire situation.

Voltaire expressed concern about the situation in Haiti, noting that he doubted Trump’s interest in the country due to his previous derogatory remarks. He also mentioned Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader’s actions, highlighting rapid repatriation of tens of thousands of Haitians each week. With escalating gang violence leading to approximately 700 thousand internally displaced persons (IDPs), Voltaire stressed that while organizations like the World Food Program and International Organization for Migration are offering assistance, their efforts remain insufficient. As a result, he warned that conditions could become catastrophic.

Haiti’s leader stated that approximately 1.5 million Haitians reside in the United States, with about 150,000 of them admitted through a program known as the “Temporary Protection System.”

“Trump states his intention to expel them all,” Voltaire remarked, noting that Haiti is already grappling with hunger and internally displaced individuals, making it ill-equipped to manage the influx.

According to a report published this month by the U.N. migration agency, internal displacement in Haiti has tripled over the past year and now exceeds one million people.

The situation has predominantly resulted from gang violence in the Caribbean nation.

The latest statistics released by the International Organization for Migration mark a new record for Haiti.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that “relentless gang violence” in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has nearly doubled displacement in the city. This situation has led to a collapse of healthcare and other services while exacerbating food insecurity.

Approximately 200,000 people have been forcibly sent back to Haiti over the past year, primarily from the Dominican Republic.

Voltaire and his transitional government have been charged with guiding the nation toward general elections, a challenging objective. Nonetheless, he is confident that they can achieve this by next November, despite the formidable presence of powerful gangs controlling 85% of the capital and expanding their influence into nearby areas.

Nonetheless, Voltaire is confident that enhancing Haiti’s multinational police force with several thousand more officers will enable them to proceed with elections this year.

Kenya is at the forefront of the multinational police force, deploying over 600 officers. However, this number falls short of the one thousand that the country’s president had promised.

An extra 150 Guatemalans and an advance team of eight Salvadoran troops have joined, yet the force is still significantly under its expected size of 2,500 officers. Voltaire mentioned that Benin has committed to providing another two thousand soldiers.

Since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, gangs in Haiti have become more powerful.

Certain gangs have even expressed a desire to participate in the political process.

Voltaire dismissed that possibility.

According to the United Nations, over 5,600 individuals lost their lives in Haiti last year.

According to the U.N. Human Rights Office, there was an increase of over 20% in the number of killings compared to all of 2023.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned last week that gangs might seize control of Port-au-Prince, resulting in a total collapse of government authority unless further international assistance is provided to the struggling national police force.

Voltaire mentioned that he requested the pontiff to arrange a global conference focused on solidarity with Haiti.

According to Voltaire, the Pope wrote “international conference” on a sheet of paper. Later, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin informed him that the Vatican would attempt to persuade Mexico and Canada to contribute funds for a conference concerning Haiti.

Voltaire is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron next week to request further assistance for Haiti.