Over this past weekend, Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince was hit by a new wave of violence carried out by rival gangs, which took place near the Toussaint Louverture international airport and displaced hundreds of residents from their homes, burned down houses, and wounded many. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) had to evacuate its hospital in the large Cité Soleil slum; the Fontaine Hospital at the same location had to evacuate its newborns. MSF announced that it is impossible to protect its staff and patients in the midst of the gunfighting.
On May 9, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, during which they discussed the security crisis, immigration pressures, and the humanitarian situation, although Vatican News’ report provided few details. Fils-Aimé also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, responsible for Vatican relations with states.
Despite plans to hold national elections this year, with a first round scheduled for August and the second by the end of the year, it is now evident that this will be impossible. Speaking from Rome with the daily Le Nouvelliste, Fils-Aimé said, “It is clear that the security conditions do not exist to organize the elections in August…. As a person in charge, can I lead the population to the polls when the security issues are not resolved? Can I ask someone to line up to vote when they could be attacked by a gang? It would be irresponsible to do so.”
