U.S. Revokes Visas for Two Members of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council
Is reshuffling Haiti's government a destabilizing power grab or is blocking it heavy-handed foreign interference?
Above: Edgard Leblanc Fils, then head of Haiti's council, at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26, 2024. Image credit: Leonardo Munoz/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Attempting to reshuffle Haiti's transitional government right before its scheduled mandate expiration directly undermines security efforts and plays into the hands of violent gangs. Anyone backing this destabilizing power grab works against regional stability and Haitian interests. Under these circumstances, swift consequences for such reckless actions are absolutely justified.
Establishment-critical narrative
Revoking visas reeks of heavy-handed political interference designed to impose foreign will on Haiti's internal affairs. This overreach undermines the credibility of sanctions by exposing them as theater rather than evidence-based policy. The transitional council itself is merely another externally manufactured political structure with no legitimate Haitian roots.
