US government warns it will take action if Haitian politicians destabilize country

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The United States on Wednesday warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against making any changes to the embattled country’s government, as pressure mounts for the unelected body to head toward elections for the first time in a decade.

In a statement published on »

The US embassy added that such a move would undermine efforts to establish “a minimal level of security and stability” in Haiti, where gang violence is increasing and poverty is deepening.

The statement comes as some council members are at odds with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, although the reason is not immediately clear. The council met behind closed doors earlier Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday evening that he could not comment on the situation. The seven voting council members did not respond to messages for comment.

It is the latest episode in years of political chaos that erupted after the assassination of Haiti’s last elected president, Jovenel Moïse, at his home in July 2021.

The council has been one of the country’s highest authorities since April 2024, when it was created with the help of Caribbean leaders after powerful gangs took control of Haiti’s main international airport and targeted key state infrastructure in a series of unprecedented attacks that ultimately led former Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

The council was responsible for choosing Haiti’s prime minister in an effort to quickly bring some stability to the besieged country.

Fils-Aimé is the third person chosen by the council. A businessman and former director of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he was appointed in November 2025 after the council fired former leader Garry Conille.

The board is supposed to step down by Feb. 7, but it’s unclear if that will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to stay in power longer, and many fear the move could spark a new wave of violent protests.

The February 7 deadline was approved in early 2024 under the assumption that Haiti would have held general elections to elect a new president. Gang violence has prevented authorities from holding elections so far, although they are tentatively set for August, with a runoff in December.

A new UN report released Wednesday notes that “national stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance architecture that should lead the country to elections.”

Earlier Wednesday, the UN Security Council met to discuss the situation in Haiti.

“Haiti has entered a critical phase in its process of restoring democratic institutions,” declared Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, special representative of the UN Secretary-General in Haiti. “Let’s be clear: the time for political maneuvering is over.”

Panamanian Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba noted during the meeting that Haiti is at a “critical moment,” with only 18 days until the end of the presidential transition council’s mandate.

“The ongoing nature of the violence…remains extremely concerning,” he said.

Several members of the UN Security Council have stressed that Haiti must move quickly toward a democratic transition as gangs continue to take control of more territory.

“It is necessary to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility… to maintain the continuity of the State and avoid any disruption that could compromise the functioning of national institutions,” said Ericq Pierre, Haiti’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

The gangs control about 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and have seized large swaths of land in the country’s central region.

More than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti between January and November last year, “with figures likely underestimated due to limited access to areas controlled by gangs”, according to the UN report.

Haiti’s national police are trying to quell gang violence with the help of a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, who remain understaffed and underfunded.

The mission is being transformed into a “gang suppression force” that would have the power to arrest suspected gang members.

The Haitian government also worked with a private military contractor to launch drone strikes targeting suspected gang members, but which also killed civilians. The strikes killed more than 970 people between March and December last year, including 39 civilians, including 16 children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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A previous version of this report incorrectly described Garry Conille as the first person chosen as prime minister by the transition council. He was the second.

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Associated Press journalist Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this report.