Haiti crisis could be breeding ground for a new dictator

Ever since President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti was assassinated in Port-Au-Prince in July 2021, the situation in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country has gone from bad to worse. 

Nearly two years later, the murder remains only partially solved, while new elections have still not been called to replace the deceased head of state, deepening an institutional crisis in a country also ridden with economic hardship and an unraveling social fabric. 

To make matters worse, the terms of the country’s last ten remaining senators expired this year, leaving Haiti without a single directly elected representative after years of struggling to organize elections.

Outside of the halls of power, the scenario on the streets is just as bleak, with armed groups taking advantage of the power vacuum to dominate entire neighborhoods through fear and violence, causing a massive urban exodus. 

This week, tired of months-long abuses, enraged civilians teamed up with the police to capture 13 gang members, burning them alive in broad daylight — a shocking scene of mob justice that shows how far institutional deterioration has gone in the Caribbean nation. 

After decades of political crises and natural disasters, it would be simplistic to pin the blame for the state of the country on one person in particular. But there is no doubt that Prime Minister Ariel Henry is inextricably linked to the current political crisis, having ended up in power after Mr. Moïse’s death despite not being in the direct line of succession. Mr. Henry is even suspected...