Caribbean leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss the ongoing state of emergency in Haiti, where gangs have taken over most of the country’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, and have forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry out of the country.
Mr Henry is currently in Puerto Rico and has been barred from returning to his home country. A growing number of officials in Haiti are calling for his resignation. According to the Associated Press, the prime minister has rejected the calls. Patrick Boivert, a finance minister, is currently serving as the country’s acting prime minister.
Earlier this month, gangs stormed some of the country’s prisons and set at least 4,000 inmates free, leading to violence and chaos. The gangs also burned police stations and closed the main international airports.
The country then declared a state of emergency. Mr Henry did not attend the meeting in-person on Monday but it was not clear if he attended virtually. It was organised by CARICOM, a regional trade bloc that has pressed for a transitional government in the country for months amid failed promises of general elections.
Mr Henry has served as the country’s prime minister since 2021 and has served the longest term since the Haitian constitution was drafted.