SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. government has imposed visa restrictions on Fritz Alphonse Jean, a member of Haiti's transitional presidential council, accusing him of supporting gangs and other criminal organizations in a move expected to deepen political instability in the country.
The US also accused Jean of obstructing Haiti's fight against “terrorist gangs”. The gangs control 90% of Haiti's capital and swathes of territory in the center of the country, where they extort businesses and fight for territory using military-grade weapons.
Jin told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he denied the allegations.
Haiti must hold elections by February 7, when the council is due to resign. Critics said some members of the transitional presidential council are keen to remain in power beyond that date and are looking for a new prime minister to support those plans.
Jin rejected the criticism, saying the council wanted to fight gangs and corruption.
“As soon as we began to consider the possibility of changing the head of government, members (of the council) began to receive threats of visa cancellations and other sanctions from a representative of the US embassy and the Canadian ambassador,” Jin said. According to him, the ambassadors clearly stipulated that “if we do not refuse, sanctions and cancellation of visas await us.”
“We stand firmly in the fight against corruption, state capture by a few individuals and operators involved in drug trafficking, arms and ammunition distribution,” Jean said.
The office of Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé did not immediately respond to a message for comment.
Fils-Aimé and the transitional presidential council were under pressure to hold general elections before the council's term expired.
But ongoing gang violence has made it impossible to meet that deadline.
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has set provisional election dates for August and December next year.
The troubled country hasn't held an election in nearly a decade, and no one has been president since former President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence in July 2021.
