The President of the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers (CTSP) in Haiti, Jean Bonald Golinsky Fatal, painted a disturbing picture of the situation inside his country.
For the past two years, Haiti has been suffering from a period of instability caused by a socio-economic and political crisis. For the past month the country has been literally blocked, with often violent demonstrations making life more difficult. Young people are especially angry at the corruption and ineffectiveness of Haitian leaders.
The trigger for this latest crisis was an agreement between the International Monetary Fund and the government of Jovenel Moïse on a significant increase in gas prices. This sudden rise in the cost of fuel has led to acts of violence.
Another important factor is President Moïse’s involvement in several proven corruption cases. He has lost the confidence of every sector of Haitian civil society.
“In such a context, there are only a few ways out of the crisis,” explained Fatal, who is also a labour and human rights lawyer. “From the union point of view, the only way out is for President Moïse to resign and be replaced by a member of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary.”
He stressed, however, that “the levers to solve our problems are not in Haiti.”
Indeed, the “Core Group,” composed of countries known as friends of Haiti (the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Brazil, the European Union, and a representative of the United Nations) still supports President Moïse despite his government’s lack of legitimacy.
If the international community persists in supporting the president in the coming days, says Fatal, Haiti could plunge into a civil war. He implores foreign powers to respect the sovereignty of the Haitian people.
The CTSP was founded in 2008 to fight against privatization, defend the accessibility of public services, and protect the interests of workers in Haiti. It has more than 22,000 members.