Haitians want new government but are torn on military intervention, MPs hear

Citizen and business groups are rallying for a political consensus to get Haiti out of humanitarian and political crises, but remain split on the idea of a military intervention.

Advocates in Canada and abroad told the House of Commons subcommittee on international human rights that there must be a widely accepted plan for a transitional government in Haiti.

The country has not had elections since before the COVID-19 pandemic and a power vacuum has allowed violent gangs to take control of critical infrastructure, leading to massacres and a cholera outbreak.

The unpopular government has asked for a foreign military intervention to create a humanitarian corridor, a move endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General as well as the International Crisis Group.

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But some Haitians have pushed back on the idea, with one telling MPs that it will only lead to more chaos and that the government’s request is tantamount to treason.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sent Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, to Haiti to try and find a path to consensus.