Democracy Dialogues: Haiti on the Brink
Democracy Dialogues: Haiti on the Brink
Acclaimed journalist Michael Deibert details the country's gang crisis, governance failures, and uncertain future.
Speakers:
- Michael Deibert, Journalist and Author
- Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
“The mood [in Haiti] I would describe as despair and near panic,” says journalist Michael Deibert in a Democracy Dialogues interview with AS/COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth. Drawing on his on-the-ground reporting and daily contact with Haitians, Deibert outlines how armed groups—some with as many as 14,000 members—are expanding their control over Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country.
With Haiti's police force severely understaffed and under-equipped, and international security missions struggling to make an impact, "the small section of Port-au-Prince where life is not under gang control is getting smaller and smaller," Deibert warns. He traces the roots of the current gang crisis to political and economic elites, explaining how past Haitian leaders, including former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, empowered these groups to maintain control over electoral politics and suppress any opposition.
Deibert is deeply skeptical that Haiti’s schedule 2025 elections will take place. "Port-au-Prince is hanging on by a fingernail and could fall into complete gang control within weeks or months," he warns.
Despite the dire outlook, the author of Haiti Will Not Perish: A Recent History acknowledges the country’s resilience, praising its “extraordinarily talented, gifted, and patriotic people.” His conversation with Farnsworth also explores the international community's response, stressing the urgent need for stronger security forces, improved resources for Haitian police, and better coordination among global stakeholders.
Democracy Dialogues is a series of conversations on the state of democracy in the Americas. Hosted by Eric Farnsworth, these one-on-one interviews with leading democracy practitioners explore the most difficult issues of regional democratic governance with an eye toward pragmatic, deeply-considered solutions. Previous guests have included Guatemala's President Bernardo Arévalo, Colombia's then-President Ivan Duque, Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and elected President Edmundo González, NBA Basketball Star Enes Kanter Freedom, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, Cuba Decide founder Rosa Maria Paya, founder and editor of Nicaragua's Confidential Carlos Fernando Chamorro, and numerous others.
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