Port-au-Prince, Haiti — The National Federation of Mayors of Haiti (FENAMH) has issued a sharp rebuke of the country’s ongoing constitutional revision process, accusing national authorities of sidelining local leaders and undermining principles of democracy and decentralization. In a strongly worded statement this week, the organization warned that the exclusion of municipal and regional officials…
Haiti’s Tourism Minister, John Herrick Dessources, visited the construction site of Cap-Haitian’s new waste treatment center on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, as part of a broader initiative to revitalize the region’s tourism sector. Accompanied by his chief of staff and the ministry’s director general, Dessources outlined a comprehensive plan to transform the North into a…
Phanèse R. Laguerre, the former coordinator of Haiti’s National School Canteen Program (PNCS), was arrested on January 31, 2025, and placed in preventive detention on charges of embezzling over 250 million gourdes ($2 million) in public funds. The scandal, uncovered by Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), has exposed widespread fraud in a program designed to provide…
Haiti’s 2025 Carnival Committee has unveiled a 536-million-gourde ($4 million) budget for the national festival, set to take place in Fort-Liberté from March 2 to 4. The announcement comes as the country grapples with rampant inflation, gang violence, and a humanitarian crisis, sparking debate over the allocation of public funds. Carnival as a “Necessary Escape”…
FORT-LIBERTÉ, Haiti—Signaling a renewed focus on cultural preservation, Haiti’s Ministry of Culture and Communication has formally established the committee tasked with orchestrating the National Carnival 2025, a landmark celebration of Haitian heritage slated for March 2–4 in the coastal city of Fort-Liberté. The announcement underscores the event’s role as a cultural showcase and a symbol…
Haiti’s descent into lawlessness under gang rule has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with sexual violence against children surging by 1,000% since 2023, according to a dire warning from UNICEF. Armed groups now control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, turning neighborhoods into zones of terror where minors are subjected to kidnappings, rape, and forced recruitment,…
Haiti’s anti-corruption agency arrested Jemley Jean-Baptiste, the former director of the National Old Age Insurance Office (ONA), on Friday, February 7, as part of a widening investigation into alleged abuse of power and mismanagement of public funds. The arrest, ordered by Judge Loubens Élysée, signals renewed efforts to hold officials accountable in a nation long…
A multinational effort to combat Haiti’s escalating gang crisis gained momentum this week as three specialized helicopters, donated by El Salvador and transported by a Ukrainian cargo carrier, arrived at Toussaint Louverture International Airport. The aircraft, part of the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support (MMAS) mission, aim to bolster medical evacuations and tactical operations in…
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé lauded Haiti’s General Administration of Customs (AGD) during a high-profile visit to the agency on Thursday, February 6, emphasizing its critical role in safeguarding state revenue and combating smuggling amid the country’s deepening economic and political turmoil. Accompanied by Economy and Finance Minister Alfred Fils Metellus, the Prime Minister’s tour…
The US Embassy in Haiti has announced that the United States Government has not suspended all aid to the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti. In a statement released on Thursday, February 6, the US Embassy highlighted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorized waivers for $40.7 million (5.2 billion) in essential…
