US government warns it will take action if Haitian politicians destabilize country

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against making changes to the troubled country's government late Wednesday, as pressure mounts for the unelected body to move toward elections for the first time in a decade.

In a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti wrote that ''The United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly."

The U.S. Embassy added that such a maneuver would undermine efforts to establish ''a minimal level of security and stability'' in Haiti, where gang violence is surging and poverty deepening.

The statement came as some members of the council are at odds with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, although it wasn't immediately clear why. The council met behind closed doors earlier Wednesday and again on Thursday.

The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs wrote on X Thursday night that Haiti's chronic instability is a result of ''corrupt Haitian politicians who use gangs and other armed groups to create chaos in the streets and then insist on a role in government to turn down the chaos they themselves have created.''

''Real stability will come when political leaders get their power from the support of voters rather than their ability to sow chaos. The members of the (council) who have followed this path are not Haitian patriots. They are criminals like the gangs they conspire with,'' the bureau wrote.

A spokesman for the prime minister's office said he could not comment on the situation. The council's seven members with voting powers did not return messages asking for comment.

''As major institutional deadlines for the Nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country," he wrote. ''Haiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short-sighted political calculations that would compromise the stability and continuity of the State, as well as the well-being of the already sorely tested population.''

Unelected council was put in charge to quell chaos

It's the latest episode in years of political chaos that erupted after Haiti's last elected president, Jovenel Moïse, was slain at his home in July 2021.

The council has been one of the country's top authorities since April 2024. It was created with the help of Caribbean leaders after powerful gangs forced the closure of Haiti's main international airport and targeted key state infrastructure in a series of unprecedented attacks that eventually led former Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

The council was charged with selecting Haiti's prime minister in a bid to quickly bring some stability to the beleaguered country.

The council is supposed to step down by Feb. 7, but it's unclear if that will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to stay in power longer, and many fear the move could unleash a fresh round of violent protests.

The Feb. 7 deadline was approved in early 2024 on the assumption that Haiti would have held general elections to elect a new president. Gang violence has prevented officials from holding elections so far, although they are tentatively set for August, with a runoff to be held in December.

UN Security Council meets to discuss Haiti

A new U.N. report released Wednesday noted that ''national stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance architecture that is to lead the country to elections.''

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss the unraveling situation in Haiti.

Panamanian Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba noted at the meeting that Haiti is at a ''critical juncture,'' with only 18 days left for the transitional presidential council's mandate to end.

''The persistent nature of violence … remains of utmost concern,'' he said.

Several U.N. Security Council members noted that Haiti needs to quickly move toward a democratic transition as gangs continue to seize control of more territory.

''There's a need to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility … to sustain continuity of state and avoid any disruptions that may undermine the operation of national institutions,'' said Ericq Pierre, permanent representative of Haiti to the United Nations.

Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, and they have seized swaths of land in the country's central region.

Haiti's National Police has been trying to quell gang violence with help from a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that remains understaffed and underfunded.

The mission is transitioning into a so-called ''gang suppression force'' that would have the power to arrest suspected gang members.

Haiti's government also has been working with a private military contractor to launch drone strikes targeting suspected gang members, but which have also killed civilians. The strikes killed more than 970 people from March to December last year, including 39 civilians, 16 of them children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

___

A previous version of this report incorrect described Garry Conille as the first person chosen as prime minister by the transitional council. He was the second.