The embattled Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, said in a video message Tuesday that he plans to resign soon—an announcement that comes after months of chaos in the Caribbean nation that’s been plagued by gang violence.
Henry, who’s stranded in Puerto Rico, said he’ll remain prime minister in a “caretaker” role until a new government is installed. He asked his countrymen to “remain calm,” assuring them that he was working to have a new seven-member council installed to lead the country until elections are held again.
The prime minister has been in power since July 2021, when the then-Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated. Elections were paused in the aftermath, with Henry, the new acting leader of Haiti, repeatedly postponing elections on grounds that order needed to be restored first.
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Armed gangs have run rampant in Haiti as they’ve called for Henry to resign, with one gang leader threatening a “civil war that will lead to genocide” if he didn’t soon comply. As part of their protests against Henry, gangs have swarmed Henry’s home and prevented him from returning from Puerto Rico. They’ve also taken over swaths of the nation of 11 million with little pushback from authorities.
The U.S. State Department urged all Americans to flee Haiti last week, citing the growing violence and instability there. On Tuesday, embassy staff were airlifted out of Port-au-Prince, which had its international airport overrun by gangs.
Henry had been under intense pressure from U.S. officials, the international community, and gangs in the Haitian capital to step down as prime minister. He appears to have eventually given in to the calls to resign on Monday, which came shortly after the ending of an hours-long meeting between the Caribbean Community, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Haitian politicians, and others in Jamaica.
