Haiti prime minister swears in new Cabinet facing multiple crises

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry swore in a new Cabinet on Wednesday amid ongoing disorder in the country, with gangs wreaking havoc through abductions and fuel blockages.

As the Miami Herald reported, Henry said at the initiation ceremony that apart from restoring security in Haiti and reinstating the government’s authority, the new Cabinet members will also have to help with adopting a new constitution and electing a new president, parliament and local mayors.

“It is an ambitious and difficult challenge, given the climate of insecurity that some have chosen to reign in various corners of the territory,” Henry said, according to the Herald.

“Our country is experiencing a difficult situation. By saying this I don’t want to panic anyone. But it is up to us to understand the complexity of the situation if we want to make the right decisions together,” he added. 

Henry became the new prime minister after former acting Haitian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Claude Joseph agreed to step down in July. Henry had been tapped to be prime minister by Haitian President Jovenel Moïse shortly before he was assassinated in his home earlier that month.

As the Haitian government takes steps to restore order, it must contend with gangs that have abducted U.S. missionaries and attacked neighborhoods. On Sunday, two of 17 hostages who were kidnapped last month were released.