Haiti PM Henry steps down as transitional government takes power
/ Our Today
administrator
(Reuters)
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned, his office said on Thursday, and a transitional council prepared to take power with the aim of returning stability to a country where gang violence has caused chaos and misery.
Henry’s finance minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, will be interim prime minister, according to the nation’s official gazette.
The formal swearing-in of the transitional council started on Thursday morning.
In a letter dated Wednesday and shared on social media on Thursday, Henry said his administration had “served the nation in difficult times.”
Haiti’s outgoing government formalized the transition process two weeks ago, a month after Henry announced he would resign once the council was in place. Henry was stranded outside the country as alliances of heavily armed gangs threatened to completely take over the capital.
Gang violence, which has been a problem in Haiti for years, escalated earlier this year. More than 2,500 people were killed or injured from January through March, up 53% from the last three months of 2023, recent data from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) shows.
The security situation has also displaced thousands and caused catastrophic hunger.
“The swearing-in of Transitional Presidential Council members represents a vital step in Haiti’s return to inclusive governance,” Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department, said on social network X.
“We commend all participants for their commitment to pursue compromise and work together to improve the lives of all Haitians.”
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