The United States warned Haiti’s transitional council against making changes that would destabilize the government, threatening to take action against those who support such moves. The warning came as the unelected council faces pressure to move toward elections for the first time in a decade, with its mandate scheduled to end Feb. 7.
The transitional council, created in April 2024 to restore order after gang violence forced closure of Haiti’s main international airport, has been one of the country’s top authorities. Gang violence has prevented elections so far, and gangs now control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, the capital.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti warned the transitional council against destabilizing moves on Wednesday, stating that “The United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly.”
The warning came as some members of the council clash with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, though the specific nature of their disagreement was not immediately clear. The council met behind closed doors Wednesday and again Thursday.
Council at a Crossroads
This political infighting reflects a deeper pattern of institutional corruption, according to U.S. officials. The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said Haiti’s chronic instability stems from “corrupt Haitian politicians who use gangs and other armed groups to create chaos in the streets and then insist on a role in government to turn down the chaos they themselves have created.” The bureau added that “Real stability will come when political leaders get their power from the support of voters rather than their ability to sow chaos.”
The council’s leader, Laurent Saint-Cyr, pushed back against such characterizations, saying he opposes any push to undermine government stability ahead of Feb. 7. “As major institutional deadlines for the Nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country,” he wrote. “Haiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short-sighted political calculations.”
Building a Transitional Government
The transitional council was put in place in April 2024 following unprecedented gang attacks that forced the closure of Haiti’s main international airport and targeted key state infrastructure. The body was created with help from Caribbean leaders to select Haiti’s prime minister and restore order.
Garry Conille was the second person chosen as prime minister. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, a businessman and former head of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was appointed as the third in November 2025 after the council fired Conille.
The council is supposed to step down by Feb. 7, but critics say some members are trying to stay in power longer. That deadline was approved in early 2024 with the assumption that Haiti would have held elections by then. Gang violence has prevented elections so far, though they are tentatively scheduled for August, with a runoff in December.
Aware of these mounting pressures, the international community is weighing in. The U.N. Security Council met Wednesday to discuss Haiti’s deteriorating situation. “Haiti has entered a critical phase in its process of restoring democratic institutions,” said Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, the special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in Haiti. “The country no longer has time to waste in prolonged infighting.”
Gangs Tighten Grip Amid Military Response
Gangs now control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince and have seized territory in Haiti’s central region. More than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti from January to November 2025, with figures likely underreported due to limited access to gang-controlled areas, according to a U.N. report.
Haiti’s National Police has been working with a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to combat gang violence, though the mission remains understaffed and underfunded. The mission is transitioning into a “gang suppression force” authorized to arrest suspected gang members.
Haiti’s government has also contracted with a private military firm to conduct drone strikes targeting suspected gang members. Those strikes killed more than 970 people from March to December 2025, including 39 civilians and 16 children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.