Last year, Haiti’s president was assassinated in a brazen attack. His death set off a period of chaos in the country that has no end in sight. Gangs have taken control of much of the country, and whats left of the government are on the back foot, struggling to maintain order where they can. In early November, Haiti’s military successfully freed the country’s largest port from a months long occupation by gangs, but rather than being a highlight of efforts to retake control, the event only served as a reminder of the violence running rampant across the country. Now, nearby countries, primarily the United States, are voicing concerns that a mass exodus of immigrants from Haiti is on the horizon, as the violence shows no signs of stopping. In an effort to stop this eventuality, the US has called for an external military force to be sent to the country in order to help establish peace. However, no country has answered the call, and the situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate.
The US has been facing an immigration crisis for years now, and the idea that a mass exodus from Haiti may occur is clearly frightening to government officials. However, there seems to be little to no willingness on the US’s part to do what they are asking other countries to do. I think this lack of action primarily stems from the recent shift in how the United States approaches the international stage as a whole. With the recent withdrawal of forces from the Middle East and a clear shift away from military interventions, a US intervention in Haiti would go against a newly established precedent for American actions in the international community.
This situation is also a textbook example of a country simply passing the buck. While it is an issue for the US, the situation in Haiti doesn’t directly affect us enough for it to actually be a problem. And as such, rather than handling it ourselves, we have opted to instead ask other countries, like Canada and Brazil, to intervene and establish peace in Haiti. Canada and Brazil have both taken similar stances to the US, and the buck has simply been passed again, and it is unlikely that anyone will actually handle the issue, and so we will simply see it play out.
Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/world/americas/haiti-gangs-foreign-intervention.html?login=email&auth=login-email