The United States announced visa restrictions on an unnamed Haitian government official due to ties to Haitian gangs.
However, the US did not identify the official, who later came forward as Fritz Alphonse Jean, a member of Haiti’s Interim Presidential Council.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
On Tuesday, Jean told The Associated Press that he was subject to visa restrictions and denied the U.S. government’s claims were false.
He also accused the United States and Canada of putting pressure on the board that vets candidates for next year’s national elections.
“As we began to consider the possibility of a change in leadership, members (of the council) began receiving threats of visa revocation and other sanctions from representatives of the U.S. embassy and the Canadian ambassador,” Jean said.
The message, Jean explained, was: “If we don’t stop, we will face sanctions and visa cancellations.” The US government has not yet commented on Jean’s claims.
Crackdown on organized crime
Jean’s remarks came in response to a statement late Monday night from the U.S. State Department announcing visa restrictions for unnamed officials.
“Today, the State Department is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Haitian government employees for supporting gangs and other criminal organizations and obstructing the Haitian government’s fight against terrorist organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations,” the statement said.
The official added that the sanctions will prohibit the official from entering the United States and revoke any valid visa the official currently holds.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is taking a tougher stance against gangs and other criminal networks in Latin America, including Haiti.
Since January, he has led a campaign to designate criminal organizations in the region as “foreign terrorist organizations” as part of a broader crackdown on illegal drug trafficking and immigration into the United States.
The Trump administration has already labeled Haitian gangs such as Bib Ansamm and Grand Grief as “foreign terrorist” groups.
One prominent gang leader, Jimmy “Barbeque” Sheridier, was indicted on conspiracy charges in the United States in August. A $5 million reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
In October, the US government also imposed sanctions on gang leaders and former police officers associated with Vib Ansamun.
Gang violence is a major concern in Haiti, with around 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, under the control of organized crime.
The United Nations and other groups have also noted that gang activity this year has tended to expand into areas previously less affected by violence, such as the Western Center and the Artibonite sector.
The result is a humanitarian crisis in one of the hemisphere’s poorest countries.
In October, the International Organization for Migration revealed that a record 1.4 million Haitians had been forced from their homes.
Last year, more than 5,600 people died from the violence, nearly 1,000 more than the death toll in 2023.
In the three months from April to June this year, the United Nations estimates that 1,617 people were killed and 580 injured.
government confusion
Experts believe that Haiti’s government’s instability has enabled the gang’s expansion. In 2021, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home, and no president has succeeded him since.
The national elections scheduled for 2019 have been repeatedly postponed, and the country is at risk of losing public trust in the government.
The last democratically elected officials in the central government reached their term of office in 2023. With the last 10 senators stepping down, the country is now without an elected representative.
Corruption and legitimacy issues have long dogged officials who have remained in their posts, leading to the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry, a political appointee, in 2024.
An Interim Presidential Council was established in April of that year to address this issue. It was established to serve as Haiti’s governing body until a new president is elected or its mandate expires, scheduled for February 7, 2026.
One of its main purposes was to plan the country’s national elections. The multiple election cycle was initially expected to begin in November and last until February 2026, but these elections have since been postponed.
Currently, Congress has set a tentative schedule to start campaigning in March and hold votes in August and December next year.
But there have long been questions about whether members of Congress will actually resign in February.
Several members of the nine-seat parliament are embroiled in a corruption scandal, with investigators accusing them of soliciting bribes.
The council as a whole has suffered from internal dissent and criticism that its members, who include politicians, academics and businessmen, represent only Haiti’s elite.
Insurance industry leader Laurent Saint Cyr currently chairs the Council. Jean previously held the role from March to August.
Jean, a former prime minister and president of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, is a well-known economist in the country.
He told The Associated Press the council would continue to fight gang violence and denied allegations of wrongdoing on his part.
“We stand firm in the fight against corruption, minority occupation, and operators involved in drug trafficking and the proliferation of arms and ammunition,” Jean said.
