caricom

US Vice President Kamala Harris, while cohosting a meeting of CARICOM leaders, promised to help the region tackle gun trafficking, combat climate change and establish a Haiti transnational criminal investigative unit to assist the region’s most unstable nation, Haiti.

She committed $100 million in aide in the fight as the Biden adminstration aim to strenghten US-Caribbean relations.

Her visit was significant since she is the most influential US official to visit the Bahamas, since Independence. Prime Minister of the Bahamas Philip Davis is the chairman of CARICOM and cohosted the meeting with Harris.

Photo Credit: Office of the Prime Minister, Chandan Khanna, Andrew Holness Instagram, Nassau Guardian

As Haiti worsens, Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris will press Prime Minister Philip Davis and Caricom to commit to a multinational force to assist the troubled Caribbean nation regain a level of stability.

The big picture

Vice President Harris is the highest ranking US official to visit the Bahamas since Independence.

Daily life in Haiti is marked by widespread violence, with deep political, social and economic stability and its problems seems unsolvable as Haitians seek refuge in other Caribbean countries, the United States and Canada.

It is hoped the multinational force could support the country’s national police in the capital Port-au-Prince where violence is rife and gangs have taken over airports and ports of entry.

Why it matters

The Biden’s adminstration has attempted discussions for a multinational force to be deployed to Haiti since October, opting for Canada to lead the way, put plans faltered because neither reached an agreement on who whould take the lead.

“The worsening security situation requires an international response, which is why the United States strongly support the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti, which the Vice President will make clear to the Caribbean leader,” officials told Miami Herald on Harris’ visit.

“In Nassau, the vice president will reiterate our administration’s support for a multinational force in Haiti,” a senior administration official said. “We’ve made it clear that we believe the security and humanitarian situation in Haiti is worsening and the situation on the ground will not improve without armed security assistance from international partners.

“Any decisions about such a security force would be done in consultation with the Haitian government as well as the UN. Those discussions are still ongoing,” the official added. “We will remain in coordination with partners on next steps to address urgent security needs.”

US Officials said she will announce $50 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have disappointed Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry at CARICOM on Thursday when he fell short of offering military presence on the ground in Haiti to quash the surge of unimaginable gang violence in the troubled island nation.

Trudeau instead, promised to deploy two Royal Canadian Navy ships to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence for Haitian police, to assist with quelling the violence –HMCS Glace Bay and Moncton from West Africa, along with 90 sailors.

“Today, I am announcing that Canada will also deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the Haitian coast in the coming weeks. Canada continues to reinforce the capacities of the Haitian police to overpower armed gangs and hold those who support them accountable.”

Henry, who also participated in the meetings, asked for a foreign military intervention, which the United Nations supports. Instead, the United States suggested that Canada lead the discussions of military operations.

“Canada is elbows deep in terms of trying to help. The best thing we can do to help is enable the Haitian leadership and the patient people themselves to be driving their pathway out of this crisis,” he said in the Bahamas when pressed by reporters.

Trudeau has since stated that Haiti’s restoration must be led by the Haitian people and has left the idea of military intervention as a last resort indicating that Caribbean countries must play a role in “legitimizing” international help, otherwise military operations by the US or Canada can be viewed as “colonialist” interventions.

He also added two other influential Haitians to a list of 15–accused of corruption and gang ties. This group of sanctioned individuals is banned from making economic dealings in Canada—former interim president Jocelerme Privert and ex-political aide Salim Succar.

An additional 12.3 million dollars will be given for humanitarian help and 10 million dollars to assist the International Office on Migration to protect Haitian women and children along the borders.

“The toll of human suffering in Haiti weighs heavily on me.”

Haiti is an embattled country fighting humanitarian, political, and social ills, and since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, it has descended into further chaos with the raping of Haitian women and children, kidnappings for ransom, and the killing of law enforcement officers.

Photo credits: New York Times, The Guardian

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was chastised over his visit to the Bahamas to attend the 44^th CARICOM meeting where he was a guest speaker on the deepening crisis in Haiti.

Many Canadians, critical of his leadership, took to social media to express their fury.

“The worst prime minister in the history of Canada,” a user posted on Trudeau’s social media page.

Steve Lavell said, “How about clean up the mess you created here in Canada? Canadians are fed up with you.”

Trudeau won a third term in Canada’s snap election, in 2021, but fell short of regaining the majority in the House of Assembly. Most of his support came from smaller parties.

He and his minority Liberal government then brokered a deal with the left-leaning New Democrats to keep his government in power until 2025.

Canada, not a member of the Caribbean, like the United States, is a regional leader and was prompted by the United Nations, to help ease tensions in Haiti. His attendance at CARICOM suggests his country’s partnership to solve the political, security and humanitarian crisis in the beleaguered country, where extreme violence has further destabilized its society since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in 2021.

A sarcastic Carm Baglieri said, “Enjoy your vacation (in the Bahamas) on our dime. So glad you deserve it, working so hard for us.”

“How much is this one going to cost us?” another asked.

Rob Schultz added, “Resign. Do Canada proud, stay there.”

During his visit at the Caribbean community summit, Trudeau made an additional $12.3 million donation for humanitarian help in Haiti and $10 million dollars to assist the International Office on Migration to protect Haitian women and children along the Dominican borders.

Many Canadians are critical of the move.

“The only reason you were invited is that they know you are going to give them hard-earned Canadian taxpayers’ money.”

Sarah Philips said, “Trudeau wants to waste our money on Haiti. Perhaps he should go there in person and roll up his sleeves and do some actual work on the ground.”

“He runs away from responsibilities in Canada, for praise, while our country falls apart. He is shallow and is afraid to work, and is not smart enough to run a country. He throws our money at other countries so he can have his ego stroked,” Marie Anne said.

Some Canadians determined that Trudeau could have conducted his meeting with CARICOM over a video conferencing application.

“Whatever happened to Zoom meetings?” a social media user asked on Twitter.

Another demanded, “Quit traveling and stay home. Use Zoom.”

Murray Jones said, “There’s a thing called Zoom and it’s less expensive.”

Trudeau returned to Canada late Thursday.

Photo credit: CTV News

Heads of Government from Caribbean nations and regional leaders including John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate change and Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, are in the Bahamas to attend 44th CARICOM meeting where Prime Minister Philip Davis serves as Chair of the Conference.

High on the agenda are discussions on Haiti, migration and food security.

“The turmoil and suffering there (Haiti) continue to worsen,” Davis said at the opening ceremony on Wednesday night. “As a near neighbour, The Bahamas is under great strain, and many other countries in our region are also heavily impacted.”

“We should learn from the failures of past efforts to help, rather than use those disappointments as an excuse for inaction. I pray that we can agree a series of concrete steps to help move towards a solution for the Haitian people, and the region as a whole.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s arrival in the Bahamas on Wednesday means the beginning of talks on Haiti’s deepening crisis after the US suggested it lead the intervention in the failed island nation.

When Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who will also participate in the CARICOM meetings, asked for a foreign military intervention due to the strangled hold gangs have on his country’s resources, the United States immediately suggested that Canada lead the discussions and send military troops on the ground.

Trudeau has since stated that any effort to restore Haiti must be led by the Haitian people and has left the idea of military intervention as a last resort, though the US said it should lead one.

Before his arrival to the Bahamas, Trudeau’s office said his discussions at the Caribbean summit, will allow leaders to consider political, security, and humanitarian assistance to Haiti and seek “Haitian-led solutions to the ongoing situation.”

According to Canadian media, Trudeau, when speaking in French, stated before his arrival, that Caribbean countries must play a role in “legitimizing” international help for Haitian people after decades of failed “colonialist” interventions.

In a prèss conference on Tuesday, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said Canada and the United States must step up to assist Haiti since the Bahamas has felt the brunt of Haiti’s economic and social instability, through the influx of thousands of Haitians fleeing the troubled state.

“We (The Bahamas) do not have the resources to be able to deal with the Haiti problem ourselves and we do need outside help.”

Davis hinted that the Bahamas would be willing to send personnel to a security mission if it’s needed.

Waves of violence have swept Haiti marked by poverty, the assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moise in 2021, rising energy prices, corruption, and civil unrest.

Trudeau will speak to the Caribbean panel on Thursday and leave for Ottawa later in the evening.

Photo: Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and Ariel Henry arrive in the Bahamas on Wednesday to attend the Caribbean Summit

Haitian police officers rioted in the streets of Port-au-Prince on Thursday, demanding its government act after armed gangs killed 14 of their colleagues.

Dressed as civilians, officers blocked the streets and entrance to the country’s main airport as Prime Minister Ariel Henry arrived from Argentina where he attended the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Summit(CELAC).

Before flooding the airport, the rioters invaded Henry’s home where gunshots rang off.

Earlier in the day, reports were that police had stopped the local charge d’affairs and taken their vehicles and weapons.

Since then, Prime Minister Philip Davis who returned From Argentina on Wednesday ordered an immediate involuntary departure for Bahamian diplomatic personnel.

All diplomats are reportedly safe.

The National Union of Haitian Police Officers says 14 officers have been killed since the beginning of the year in gang attacks on police stations.

Seven officers were killed in a shootout on Wednesday alone, according to Haiti’s National Police. And in other instances, two officers were killed inside a police station in the country’s northern state, while four were killed execution-style in the streets of Port-au-Prince.

Video circulating social media shows the naked and bloodied bodies of six men stretched out in the street as their guns lay on their chests. Another video shows two masked men smoking cigarettes from the dismembered hands and feet of the dead men.

The gang who killed them, known as Gan Grif, still has the bodies, police said.

As the political and social conditions in Haiti continue to deteriorate, its citizens leave the embattled country in droves for greener pastures like the Bahamas and Florida.

Featured photos: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol

The Bahamas joins other CARICOM nations in flying the Haitian flag after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Cabinet Office released a statement on Wednesday evening saying it will observe Moïse’s death as a member state of CARICOM.

Haiti’s flag will be flown along with the CARICOM flag at half-mast on Thursday, Friday and the day of his funeral.

After his death, CARICOM heads of government met and issued a statement condemning “this abhorrent and reprehensible act that comes at a time of deep turmoil and institutional weakness in the country.”

Caricom leaders have called for the assassins to be “apprehended and brought to justice, and for law and order to prevail,” in the island-nation.

The statement goes on to say, “In accordance with its values, as expressed in its Charter of Civil Society, the Caribbean Community does not settle its differences by violence which undermines democracy and the rule of law, but peacefully through dialogue and recourse to democratic institutions.”

The big story

Gunmen killed President Moïse and critically wounded his wife Martine who is receiving treatment at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Police said they have arrested two suspects and killed four others responsible for Moise’s death at around six in the afternoon. It is not known if others were involved in the plot to kill the late president.

Haiti has since been placed on lockdown for two weeks since the events unfolded, as the country grapples to maintain control and security.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas and is usually beset by gang violence, rising inflation, and protests by opposition supporters.