About our Haiti news
Latest news on Haiti, with coverage on the ongoing gang violence and political instability affecting the island country.
In March 2024, gang violence spread throughout Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, with armed gangs storming two of the country's largest prisons, resulting in the escape of more than 4,700 inmates. The attacks and subsequent assaults on various government institutions led the Haitian government to declare a state of emergency, with gang leaders demanding that Acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign.
Henry later announced his resignation following the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council in April 2024. The council fulfilled the powers and duties of the President until officially naming Gary Conille as Henry's successor in May, with Conille being sworn in as Prime Minister a month later.
Haiti is the third-largest country in the Caribbean by area and the most populous country in the region, with an estimated population of 11.4 million. The island was originally inhabited by the Taíno people but was claimed by Spain and later ceded to France, which established lucrative sugarcane plantations worked by slaves. The Haitian Revolution, led by former slave Toussaint Louverture, resulted in Haiti becoming the first independent nation of Latin America, the second republic in the Americas, and the first country in the world to abolish slavery.
Since its independence in 1804, Haiti has faced political instability, ostracism by the international community, and economic challenges. It has a history of autocratic rule, including under François and Jean-Claude Duvalier, and has faced natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Haiti is a member of various international organisations, including the United Nations and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie. It is a predominantly French-speaking country with a rich cultural heritage and a diverse population.