BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders clashed this week over the feasibility of Haiti’s planned November 15 elections, as the nation’s escalating gang violence and institutional collapse overshadowed regional talks aimed at stabilizing its political future. The divide dominated discussions at the bloc’s three-day summit, where leaders acknowledged that Haiti’s crisis now threatens regional security.
Elections in Peril
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, chairing the summit, opened with a stark warning: “Setting an election date alone cannot untangle Haiti’s chaos.” Her remarks reflected deepening concerns that gangs, which control 90% of Port-au-Prince and have killed over 2,500 civilians this year, could derail any vote. Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit dismissed the November timeline as “a wish, not a plan,” demanding concrete international action first. “Without security, elections will legitimize warlords, not leaders,” he argued.
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali stressed CARICOM’s fragile consensus: “We want elections, but Haiti needs safe streets, functioning institutions, and humanitarian access first.” His call for a phased approach gained traction, with Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis advocating a six-month “stability buffer” after gang control is broken. “Rushing risks permanent failure,” Davis warned.
UN’s Somalia-Style Proposal Meets Skepticism
UN Secretary-General António Guterres pitched a funding model mirroring Somalia’s stabilization strategy, where UN logistical support pairs with trust-funded security forces. However, the plan hinges on elusive Security Council backing and fresh donations—a hard sell given only $21 million of a pledged $600 million multinational force budget has materialized since 2023.
“This isn’t 2004,” countered Saint Vincent PM Ralph Gonsalves, referencing Haiti’s failed UN peacekeeping era. “We need Haitian-led solutions, not repackaged interventions.” Antigua’s Gaston Browne struck a hopeful note, pledging CARICOM’s “full solidarity,” but admitted, “Our tools are limited without global muscle.”
Gangs Exploit Power Vacuum
Haiti’s humanitarian toll loomed large: 300,000 displaced, gangs weaponizing sexual violence, and 4.7 million facing acute hunger. Yet Prime Minister Garry Conille’s interim government, absent from the summit, has yet to outline a clear path to retake territory.
“CARICOM is debating deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Haitian activist Monique Clesca. “How do you plan elections when gangs are the state?”
Road Ahead
The summit’s closing statement, expected Friday, is likely to prioritize securing humanitarian corridors and fast-tracking the Kenya-led security force. But with U.S. and Canadian pledges still vague, and Haiti’s police force outnumbered 10-to-1 by gangs, skepticism prevails.
As leaders departed, Mottley conceded, “Haiti’s fate rests on courage we’ve yet to muster.” The clock ticks louder: November’s ballot now seems less a deadline than a reckoning.
