Haiti

OAS Urges International Support Ahead of Haiti Election

Is Haiti on the brink of a democratic breakthrough or doomed to repeat a cycle of unfulfilled promises?

AUG 19·Updated AUG 20

OAS Urges International Support Ahead of Haiti Election

Story

Above: Albert Ramdin, Alix Fils-Aimé and Carla Barnett in Port-au-Prince on Aug. 17, 2026. Image credit: Clarens Siffroy/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Albert Ramdin wrapped up his visit to Haiti on Wednesday with a statement calling on the international community to move faster in fulfilling commitments to support security in the country. He also urged electoral preparations to be sped up ahead of upcoming elections.
OAS
Anadolu Agency
The Associated Press
This comes one day after the OAS and Japan signed a $3 million cooperation agreement to expand access to national identification services in Haiti, including procuring 350,000 blank biometric ID cards, as part of an effort to help update the country's voter roll.
OAS
Caribbean National Weekly
Le Quotidien 509
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has scheduled the country's first general elections in more than a decade for Dec. 13. Voter registration started on July 20 and will run through Oct. 13, prompting concerns over how many people electoral authorities will be able to register.
CEP HAITI
The Associated Press
The Miami Herald
In parallel, the mandate of the U.N.-authorized Gang Suppression Force, which has yet to deploy its planned strength, is set to expire next month as a renewal is still pending. Germany recently announced it would provide airlift capacity to move equipment for the force, following a call from the U.S. in July.
Haiti Libre
German Embassy Washington on Facebook
U.S. Embassy in Haiti
Gang violence in Haiti has displaced 1.5 million people and left at least 16,000 dead since January 2022. This year, from March to July, gang clashes in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac and Cité Soleil areas of Port-au-Prince killed at least 613 people — one-third of them with no gang affiliation, including women and children.
BINUH
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Also on Wednesday, presidential hopeful André Michel took to social media to warn that armed gangs could seize the opportunity to take power if Haiti holds elections before restoring a minimum level of security.
Caribbean National Weekly
André Michel on X

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Haiti has a genuine shot at turning the corner, but it will work only if the international community steps up now. Electoral authorities have set a date for the election; registration is underway, the budget is set and the decree is published. What's still missing is security, funding and registering all voters in time. The momentum is there: it's time for the world to turn it into results.

António Guterres on X

Le Nouvelliste

Narrative B

Statements of commitment and calls for action aren't enough. Haiti needs measurable results: a real timeline, real resources, real mechanisms to strengthen its police. Without security, no election restores trust. Even election authorities admit elections hinge on security gains that haven't come, as towns remain gang-controlled, camps stay overcrowded and promises keep outpacing reality on the ground.