The decision to indefinitely postpone elections in Haiti is yet another devastating sign of a country being held hostage by violence, criminality, and political paralysis.
But while the decision has created a sense of hopelessness, certainly among law-abiding Haitians, and across the wider Caribbean, it must not become an excuse for the international community to look away.

Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Its last president was assassinated in 2021. Nearly 1.5 million Haitians have been displaced by violence, thousands have been killed or wounded this year, women and girls continue to suffer horrific sexual violence, and vast areas of the capital remain beyond the effective control of the Haitian State.

This is not simply a Haitian crisis. It is a Caribbean crisis, and the longer it continues the greater the consequences for every country in our region.

But there is an uncomfortable question that the international community must confront far more aggressively: Who is financing the gangs?

The bloodthirsty thugs terrorising Haiti do not operate in a vacuum. They require money, weapons, ammunition, logistics, and networks. Behind the barbarian scum carrying guns and inflicting death and mayhem are powerful interests that obviously benefit from instability and have the resources to sustain it.

The world cannot be satisfied with pursuing gang members on the streets while ignoring the wealthy individuals, criminal networks, and other enablers who finance, arm, supply, and politically facilitate them.

Those who bankroll Haiti’s destruction must be identified, sanctioned and prosecuted wherever possible. Following the money must become as important as confronting the hoodlums and their guns.

The international community has already seen what happens when Haiti is allowed to slide from crisis into catastrophe.

The slow deployment of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force is welcome, but a force intended to reach 5,500 personnel cannot be expected to transform the situation while operating at only a fraction of that strength.

Nor can elections alone rescue Haiti. The country needs security strong enough to allow citizens to vote, institutions capable of governing, political leadership prepared to rebuild legitimacy, and sustained international support.

As we have consistently argued in this space, the Caribbean must be especially clear: We cannot abandon Haiti.

The instinct to treat Haiti as somebody else’s problem is not only morally indefensible; it is profoundly short-sighted. Instability, mass displacement, organised crime and humanitarian desperation will not respect Haiti’s borders. The pressure will inevitably be felt across the Caribbean.

The postponement of elections should therefore be a wake-up call, not a surrender. We urge the international community to intensify its efforts, pursue the financiers and enablers of the gangs with the same determination brought to bear against the gunmen, and give Haiti the support necessary to reclaim its future.

Again, we state, we cannot afford to abandon the Haitian people.