Introduction

Background

The indigenous Taino, who resided on the island of Hispaniola at the time of Christopher COLUMBUS's arrival in 1492, were nearly exterminated by Spanish colonizers within a quarter of a century. In the early 17th century, the French established their presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain transferred control of the island's western third to the French, which eventually became Haiti. The French colony, which thrived on forestry and sugar-related industries, emerged as one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but it was heavily dependent on the forced labor of enslaved Africans and engaged in environmentally harmful practices. In the late 18th century, Toussaint L'OUVERTURE spearheaded a revolution among Haiti's nearly half a million enslaved individuals, resulting in the end of French dominion on the island. Following a protracted struggle, and under the direction of Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, Haiti declared its independence in 1804, becoming the first nation globally to be governed by former slaves; however, it was compelled to pay an indemnity of 100 million francs (equivalent to $22 billion USD as of March 2023) to France for over a century and faced international isolation for nearly 40 years. The United States officially recognized Haiti in 1862, but external economic influence and internal political turmoil led to the U.S. occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

Francois "Papa Doc" DUVALIER and subsequently his son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" DUVALIER presided over oppressive and corrupt regimes that governed Haiti from 1957 to 1971 and 1971 to 1986, respectively. Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991 and won a second term in 2000, but his initial term was interrupted by a coup after just a few months, and his second term was cut short in 2004. The assassination of President Jovenel MOÏSE in 2021 plunged the nation deeper into a state of extra-constitutional governance and exacerbated the country's increasing fragility. Subsequently, Ariel HENRY, who had been nominated by President MOÏSE shortly before his assassination, was appointed as prime minister.

On 29 February 2024, a notable escalation in gang violence occurred on the 20th anniversary of ARISTIDE's second ousting, following the announcement that HENRY would postpone elections until August 2025. HENRY’s return from an overseas trip was rerouted to Puerto Rico due to the closure of the airport amid gang violence. With significant control over much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, gang leaders demanded the removal of HENRY’s administration. By mid-March, the ongoing violence in Haiti, HENRY’s inability to return, and mounting international pressure compelled HENRY to announce his intention to resign. On 25 April 2024, HENRY officially tendered his resignation, and a nine-member Transitional Presidential Council took charge, tasked with restoring stability to the nation and organizing elections. Since January 2023, Haiti has lacked any sitting elected officials.

The nation has historically endured numerous natural disasters. In 2010, a devastating earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Haiti, with its epicenter located approximately 25 km (15 mi) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. This disaster resulted in an estimated 300,000 fatalities and left around 1.5 million people homeless. The earthquake was regarded as the most severe in the region in 200 years. In 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake impacted Haiti’s southern peninsula, leading to over 2,000 deaths and leaving approximately 500,000 individuals in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. Haiti stands as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and is also among the most unequal in terms of wealth distribution.