Foreign Affairs Minister Renew Gang Suppression Force in Haiti, Support Cuba

Advertisement

ST. LUCIA – For decade’s Haiti has been a nation in turmoil battling a struggling economy and seemingly endless violence.

However, in recent years those troubles have intensified following the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president Jovenel Moïse at his private residence in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

After the deadly incident, Haitian gangs have gained control an estimated 90% of the capital, following the collapse of state institutions.

The unprecedented unrest has displaced approximately 1.5 million people and sparked mass killings, severe food insecurity, and human rights concerns.

It’s an issue CARICOM leaders have pledged to address, with countries including The Bahamas promising to contribute to a UN-backed anti-gang security mission in Haiti.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Mitchell, telling us that he has sat down with Haitian officials this week.

Haiti isn’t CARICOM’s only concern in the region, there’s also the issue of Cuba, as U.S. sanctions have laid siege to the island’s ailing economy since January.

The U.S. has called Cuba’s government a national security threat and says sanctions are necessary to force a change in the island’s government.

However, despite this, Cuba has long maintained it is not a threat to the United States.

The United Nations has gone on record calling the U.S. fuel blockade illegal, and a violation of the human rights of all Cubans.

Then there’s the ongoing geo-political feuds that have affected the region’s economy, driving up the price of fuel, and overall cost of living.