Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry issued his resignation as the Caribbean nation's head of government, on Monday, March 11, leaving an unelected role he has held since the 2021 assassination of the country's last president. 74-year-old Henry tendered his resignation after Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders held an emergency summit on the situation in Haiti where gang-led violence amid repeatedly postponed elections has caused chaos.
"We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of a transitional presidential council and naming of an interim prime minister," Mohamed Irfaan Ali – Guyana’s president and the current chair of CARICOM – said, thanking Henry for his service.
The alliance of gangs, led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, had warned of civil war if Henry did not step down. Cherizier's gangs unleashed chaos, advocating for a foreign police intervention led by Kenya. Henry's administration had advocated for this intervention to restore stability and enable the holding of elections.
Supposed to step down in February, Henry has found himself effectively stranded outside Haiti. Last week, he arrived in Puerto Rico after being denied entry into the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.