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First modification: 04/23/2026 - 16:57

Haiti is sinking into a crisis of hunger and violence: more than half of its population is in a critical situation and the capital remains under the control of armed gangs. While the interim government, with support from the White House, attempts to call elections after a decade of instability, doubts are growing about the viability of a democratic transition. Is it possible to vote in a State that has lost control of its territory? We analyzed it in El Debate on France 24 together with experts in the region.

According to FAO and the United Nations, more than five million people require basic assistance in Haiti. The expansion of armed gangs has aggravated the situation, blocking key routes and limiting access to food, services and humanitarian aid. This context has motivated the deployment of an international force to support the Haitian police.

At the same time, Marco Rubio reiterated the support of the United States for the electoral process planned for this year, after meeting with the Haitian Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils Aimé, in Washington.

Read alsoThe bleeding of Haiti: a generalized crisis without brakes

Against this backdrop, in El Debate de France 24 we analyze the real impact of these figures on civil society and the role played by international forces.

How do the gangs manage to maintain their power in the face of external intervention and what real political options are involved in an electoral process that will take place after ten years of democratic vacuum?

From within the country, voices warn about the seriousness of the moment. Smith Agustín, former member of the Presidential Council of Haiti, points out that “the situation in Port-au-Prince continues to be very worrying, with routes controlled by criminal groups that have intensified the humanitarian crisis.”

He adds that “more than a million people are displaced, kidnappings are increasing and the economy is practically paralyzed, with productive structures that have stopped functioning.”

Added to this x-ray is that of Johanna Cilano, Amnesty International researcher for the Caribbean, who warns that “the panorama is terrifying: millions of people need assistance and daily life has collapsed.”

As he explains, access to basic services is almost non-existent:

“There are schools closed, hospitals attacked and a population facing enormous difficulties in receiving medical care.”

Cilano also warns about the impact of violence on the most vulnerable: “children and adolescents are being recruited by armed gangs, while women and girls face high levels of sexual violence.”

Throughout the program, guests address the comprehensive crisis in Haiti, focusing the analysis on the impact of criminal violence on civil society, the international role, and the implications of US support for the interim government.

They also refer to the lack of state control over armed groups and the challenges of organizing an electoral process in a territory fractured by insecurity.

They accompany us in the analysis:

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