Bèl antèman pa di paradi
June 13, 2025 - June 27, 2025
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Bèl antèman pa di paradi
A beautiful funeral does not guarantee paradise
(Haitian proverb)
CHAY LA | Main Story
Termination of TPS for Haiti
On June 27, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced the termination of the TPS designation for Haiti, effective September 2, 2025.
Temporary Protected Status was first extended to Haitians following the 2010 earthquake and has been extended over the years upon each review of the conditions in Haiti by both democratic and republican administrations.
Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims, “The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home."We know that this is false. The security situation is so bad that the US has warned its own citizens to leave the country. This lie, combined with the United States’ participation in creating the current chaos in Haiti, is a sobering reminder that the United States government is not a friend to Haiti or Haitians.
The United States welcomed 500,000 Haitians under the TPS program, exploited their labor and now they are being asked to leave. Many will be able to adjust their statuses should they be eligible. If challenges to this decision in the courts are unsuccessful, many others will be forced to start a new life in another country.
This decision follows the Trump administration's move to rescind Biden's humanitarian parole policy, which allowed over 100,000 Haitians to move to the US legally, many of whom are having to self-deport. Activists have informed us that ICE raids have taken place in New York City, and many people detained thus far are Haitians.
At the same time, Trump's latest travel ban which includes Haiti further complicates the lives of Haitians. Those seeking to visit, study, or immigrate are barred from doing so. Haitians had already been constrained in their capacity to apply for visas because the US Embassy in Haiti has not issued visas to the general public in years. To apply for a visitor or student visa, Haitians have had to apply in other countries, which is an extremely expensive process. Now this is no longer an option either, due to the travel ban.
This set of decisions effectively solidifies the United States’ policy of abandonment of Haiti when the security situation in the country is only getting worse. Those who do return home will be faced with a country that needs to be wrested from the grasp of organized crime groups, and rebuilt.
POLITIK/POLEMIK
CPT Draft Constitution Under Fire
The Haitian government has recently put forth a draft constitution, which is open to public review. However, it has drawn heavy criticism, in part due to the lack of inclusivity of the feedback mechanism provided. Only the French version of the constitution can be consulted and exclusively online. There are also several substantive arguments made against the proposed amendments.
Four measures in the draft have drawn the most criticism, including the creation of governor roles for each of the 10 departments — which would eliminate elected bodies (ASEC, CASEC)—changing the head of government role to the President, as opposed to the Prime Minister, who is confirmed by Parliament. Critics argue that these measures would essentially establish a form of governance void of checks and balances within the central government, as well as at the departmental level.
The prohibition of dual citizenship holders from high-level public offices has also been a source of contention.
The Failed MSS Mission
It's been one year since the arrival of the first Kenyan soldiers to Haiti, intended to support the Haitian National Police (PNH) in their fight against the gangs, which have now taken control of a large part of Pòtoprens and are gaining ground in the Latibonit and Sant departments.
The mission has been riddled with issues since the initial deployment, such as a seemingly chronic lack of funding, a lack of coordination with the PNH, and where equipment is provided, it is failing to meet the needs of the mission.
There's also the issue concerning the number of police officers deployed on the ground. Out of the 2,500 soldiers promised by the international community, only 991 officers have been deployed as of June 2025, representing 39% of the initially promised troops.
The Kenyan mission and the Haitian National Police haven’t gained any significant ground in combatting the gangs, with territories like Kenskòf and Mibalè falling under the control of the gangs since the arrival of the Kenyans.
In a candid interview with Haitian journalists, Fritz Alphonse Jean, the current head of the CPT, claimed that the Haitian government only officially started fighting the gangs in November 2024 for the first time. This is a startling affirmation that Haitians have been living over the past 5 years. And yet it remains shocking nonetheless.
In other words, rather than devising and implementing a plan to secure the territory and protect the population, the nation’s leaders instead ceded power to the gangs. According to this claim, the Haitian government called for the international community to invade the country instead of ever trying any strategy. Any efforts to combat the gangs have been on the part of the people organizing themselves with the participation of willing local police officers.
In the university sector-led Kongrè Patriyotik pou yon Sovtaj Nasyonal, Leslie Voltaire, another member of the CPT, echoed Jean’s claim, admitting that the PNH and Kenyan forces have failed to produce desired outcomes. Voltaire defended the CPT's efforts, asserting that their attempts to combat the gangs since November 2024 have been a marked difference from previous administrations. Instead, Voltaire argued, his predecessors opted to pay the gangs off in an attempt to reduce the violence through appeasement, rather than implementing effective measures to restore security.
Gran Atelye Anyèl Konbit
The Gwoup Konbit social movement held its 5th Gran Atelye Anyèl Konbit in Pòtoprens as it does every year on June 25th. The event brought together thousands of activists, businesspeople, community leaders, students, lawyers, and advocates for community-led development.
Gwoup Konbit has been studying and documenting konbit (mutual aid) as a development practice over the past several years and has developed a comprehensive approach in the form of a guide.
These annual meetings are just one of the many instances where the group disseminates, analyzes, and collectively advances their initiative, centering on the values and principles of konbit as a catalyst for social change.
At this same gathering each year, exemplary young leaders are also honored for their commitment and contributions with the prestigious Prim Pou Chanjman. This year’s winners are Drianca Derice, founder of Jeni Drid; Marc Diversion Beauvoir from Koze Gresye; and Wislande Bernadin, an educator and mentor from Club de Jeunes Fille à Cité Soleil.
KILTIRÈL
BA YO
Friday, June 28th, Michael Brun’s Bayo tour was a smash hit at Barclay’s Center in New York. The concert featured dozens of the Haitian music industry’s most popular artists, as well as guest surprises from other countries. The tour also featured a surprise visit from New York mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani.