Overview:
The United States has warned Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council not to change the composition of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s government as the council’s mandate approaches its February expiration. Washington, through its embassy in Port-au-Prince, said any such move would be considered null and could destabilize the country, embolden gangs and run counter to the U.S. security interests.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United States has warned Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council not to make any changes to the country’s current government, signaling that any attempt to remove Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé would be considered “null and void.” United Nations officials also urged Haitian leaders to set aside differences, maintain institutional continuity and focus on elections.
In a statement posted on the U.S. Embassy in Haiti’s Facebook page Wednesday evening, the Americans said efforts to change the government would undermine security and risk benefiting armed groups operating across the country at this late stage of the temporary body’s expiring mandate.
“The U.S. would consider anyone supporting such a disruptive step favoring the gangs to be acting contrary to the interests of the United States, the region and the Haitian people and will act accordingly,” the Jan. 21 statement said.
The nine-member council — known by its French acronym, CPT — was installed in 2024 as part of a U.S. and CARICOM-backed transition following the collapse of state authority amid expanding gang control and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Its mandate expires Feb. 7.
In recent weeks, political tensions have been on the rise within the council and across Haiti’s fragmented political class. Rumors have circulated on social media and in political circles have suggested that some CPT members are seeking to remove Fils-Aimé before the end of the transition, accusing him of attempting to entrench himself in power.
“The U.S. would consider anyone supporting such a disruptive step, favoring the gangs, to be acting contrary to the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people.”
U.S. embassy in Haiti
The CPT recently held two days of closed-door political meetings aimed at reaching an agreement on governance after Feb. 7, but no official communiqué or outcome has been released. Several major political actors declined to participate, raising new doubts about whether the council can maintain unity through the end of its mandate.
Wednesday’s warning coming at this time underscores Washington’s increasingly visible role in Haiti’s prolonged political crisis. U.S. officials reminded CPT members that they are unelected and that their mandate is temporary, stressing that their actions must align with efforts to preserve “a minimum level of security and stability.”
The statement suggests that individuals who push for changes to the government could face sanctions, cautioning that such a move could trigger new instability at a time when gangs already control large swaths of Port-au-Prince and key transportation routes, further weaken the state, and complicate international security efforts.
Repeated warnings, growing pressure on CPT
Wednesday’s warning is the latest of several public admonishments by the U.S. of Haiti’s transitional authorities.
In September 2025, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Henry Wooster told CPT members and the prime minister that their positions were not permanent and criticized what he described as efforts to use insecurity and a stalled constitutional reform process as excuses to delay elections. Wooster warned that prolonged political inaction and infighting had contributed to the erosion of state institutions and could not continue indefinitely.
In November 2025, CPT member Fritz Alphonse Jean was sanctioned by the United States over alleged collusion with armed groups. Jean denied the allegations and demanded evidence, later releasing messages he said showed U.S. officials threatening sanctions because of his opposition to Fils-Aimé.
In December 2025, Wooster went further, cautioning political and economic actors against attempts to destabilize the transition or cling to power beyond Feb. 7. He raised the possibility of targeted sanctions and reaffirmed U.S. support for organizing elections in 2026, now scheduled for Aug. 30, that would allow Haitians to choose new leaders.
“The United States will continue to hold accountable those who, for their personal interests, seek to destabilize the country and remain in power,” Wooster said at the time.
Divisions among CPT exposed
The dispute over Fils-Aimé has exposed deep divisions within the CPT, where repeated attempts to remove the prime minister have so far failed.
In recent internal correspondence circulated among council members, CPT President Laurent Saint-Cyr warned that forcing out the prime minister without a broad political consensus could further fracture the transition and deepen the crisis. Separately, CPT member Frisnel Joseph said in a public statement on social media that he does not support removing Fils-Aimé, arguing instead that the council should focus on ending the transition on schedule and returning decision-making power to the Haitian people after Feb. 7.
Jean said his stance reflected frustration with persistent insecurity and the lack of progress toward elections. U.S. officials, however, have framed the dispute as part of a broader effort to prevent political maneuvering that could derail the transition.
Altogether, such competing positions highlight the council’s internal paralysis and the limits of its authority as foreign governments continue to play an outsized role in shaping Haiti’s political trajectory. It also reflects ongoing power struggles within the CPT.
Crisis deepens amid gang violence
Meanwhile, Haiti continues to face one of the worst security and humanitarian crises in its history. Armed gangs continue to expand their control, paralyzing state functions and fueling mass displacement. More than 1.4 million people have been forced from their homes, and an estimated 6.4 million Haitians need humanitarian assistance.
Since 2022, more than 16,000 people have been killed in gang-related violence, according to international estimates.
Briefing the U.N. Security Council on Jan. 21, United Nation Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu said intentional homicides rose nearly 20% in 2025 compared with the previous year, despite limited security gains. He urged Haiti’s leaders to contain political fragmentation and focus on institutional continuity and elections.
“It is imperative that national actors work to contain political fragmentation, set aside their differences, maintain institutional continuity and focus on organizing elections,” Massieu said. “The country can no longer afford prolonged internal struggles.”
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