Global Unions appeal to stop the breakdown of democracy in Haiti 06 Mar 2021
Global Unions Joint Statement
The dictatorship of the Duvaliers (1957-1986), one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Americas, was marked by thousands of disappearances, torture, summary executions, assassinations and many other crimes against humanity. Most Haitians thought that these days were long gone and that they would never see such atrocities ever again.
Fast forward to the present day and on 7 February 2021, according to the rules set by the Haitian Constitution, the presidential mandate of Jovenel Moïse expired. Contrary to the position held by trade unions, the Haitian Bar Association, senior legal experts, scholars, the churches and many other civil society groups, he decided to remain in power.
It seems the perennial crisis in the country has started to be a concern for world leaders, who have expressed their exasperation at the Moïse governments’ lack of direction and control over the spiraling social, economic, and political turmoil. At a recent UN Security council meeting, France, the United States and Canada expressed their concerns over the trend of recent events in the country. In an unprecedented move, the Security Council gave President Jovenel Moïse a rare 27 minutes to address the august body, instead of the regular 15 minutes generally accorded to speakers. During his address, President Moïse again repeated his often-told story about the “powerful oligarchs” and “radical opposition” that are the source of what ails the nation. While all legal institutions in the nation have agreed that his term in office is legally over, Mr. Moïse contends that his term will end on February 7, 2022. The President stated that democracy is fine in Haiti and his gove