Haiti’s New Transitional Leader Faces Gang Threats, Public Distrust as Elections Loom

Haiti has sworn in businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr as the head of its transitional presidential council, a move aimed at steering the violence-stricken nation toward elections but already mired in criticism and threats from powerful armed groups.

The inauguration took place Thursday at the Villa d’Accueil, a colonial-era mansion on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince — one of the few areas the government still firmly controls, as gangs dominate nearly 90 percent of the capital.

“We must restore state authority,” Saint-Cyr said at the ceremony. “The challenges we face are certainly linked to insecurity, but they also stem from our lack of courage, vision, and responsibility.”

Earlier that day, notorious gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier vowed to disrupt the event, calling on residents to join his fighters in marching on the site. UN-backed Kenyan-led security forces said they boosted patrols to prevent an attack, accusing gangs of plotting to “render the country ungovernable.”

Saint-Cyr’s rise has sparked debate over Haiti’s leadership profile. Like Prime Minister Alix-Didier Fils-Aime, he is a light-skinned, mixed-race businessman — a background critics say reflects Haiti’s entrenched elite dominance in a country where the vast majority are Black and where deep poverty persists.

Haiti hasn’t held a presidential election since 2016, and instability worsened after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Armed groups have since expanded their influence, exploiting what many see as a corrupt and ineffective government.

The transitional council, formed in April 2024, has already faced scandals — three members were accused of corruption by year’s end, allegations they denied. Public confidence remains low, and the council’s rotating leadership is set to end with Saint-Cyr, who is tasked with overseeing elections culminating in a presidential vote on February 7, 2026.

Elections are planned in three stages, starting this November, but observers warn escalating gang violence — which killed nearly 4,900 people between October 2024 and June 2025 — could derail the timeline. The violence has shut down hospitals, blocked roads, and displaced 1.3 million people.