Haiti’s New Prime Minister Named by Transition Council Amid Corruption and Gang Violence Crisis

Haiti’s recently formed presidential transition council has appointed a new prime minister. The former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire is taking over the country which is affected by corruption and gang violence.

Little is known about Belizaire; for example, even some council members say they don’t know about it. The transitional council hopes that a new prime minister, with his own cabinet team, will restore order and security.

The transitional council, which has nine members, will act as the country’s temporary leadership until a new president is elected. The main priority is safety. Haiti has been in crisis for years, due to natural disasters, political instability and the resulting gang violence. More than 90,000 people have fled violence in the capital Port-au-Prince.

We previously made this video about what’s behind the chaos in Haiti:

The expectations of the Haitian people for the transitional council are not high, according to observers, because the members themselves have been in the government in recent years or have a corrupt history.

Belizaire will be succeeded by interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry announced his resignation in March and officially resigned last Thursday. He has been in Puerto Rico since the end of February and was waiting to leave his post once an interim prime minister and a transition council were appointed.

The country’s main groups have been calling for his departure for some time and are threatening civil war. Many residents still fear for their lives. According to a UN report at the end of March, gang violence has claimed more than 1,500 lives this year.