San Juan (EFE).- The Government of Jamaica hosted a three-day consultation this Sunday to seek a solution to the crisis that Haiti is experiencing, in order to reach a consensus and allow inclusive participation in a neutral environment.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, explained that the meeting has the support of the leaders of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) after Jamaica’s offer to host the consultations during its participation in a mission to Haiti.
“These consultations are for the people of Haiti as they seek to determine what is best for their country. While Jamaica and other countries in the region have a key interest, it is also incumbent on all of us at this time to take a stance of non-interference in the process, while actively supporting and allowing space for dialogue,” Holness stressed.
In search of Caribbean alternatives for Haiti
Holness specified that representatives of Haiti, the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, the Secretary General of Caricom, Carla Barnett, and representatives of international partners for Haiti.
“Irrespective of any representation of the States at the regional level, the consultations themselves will only involve the Haitian stakeholders who have the support of the EPG with their necessary technical staff. The EPG will report to Caricom as appropriate and necessary,” the Jamaican Prime Minister stated.
In this regard, Holness stressed that it is important that the need for “trust, confidentiality and patience” be respected as this necessary but delicate consultation process is undertaken, which must be done without interference.
Likewise, Holness stressed that his “Government will do everything possible to support this process towards the restoration of peace and stability in Haiti.”
The opposition in Jamaica, present
For his part, Jamaican opposition leader Mark Golding said he supports the initiative for Haitians to devise a solution to their problems and that any attempt to impose an extraterritorial solution on Haiti should not be encouraged.
“I hope that the next meeting of the Haitian stakeholders will have the full participation of a broad cross-section of the key groups in Haiti that must be involved in designing a path for Haiti to return to being a functioning democracy, which interests us. everybody,” Golding said.
Haiti is facing an unprecedented crisis since the assassination on July 7, 2021 of then-President Jovenel Moïse, who was riddled with gunfire by a commando with weapons and military equipment who broke into his residence on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, and who also seriously injured gravity to his wife, Marine Moïse.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, held a bilateral meeting with Holness in the Caribbean country in mid-May and urged the international community to resolve the “tragic” situation in Haiti.
Caricom members are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.