The United States took the tone of its criticism of the Haitian government and “condemned” President Jovenel Moise’s “authoritarian” and “undemocratic” actions.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince reported on Wednesday a series of tweets from Julie Chung, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in which Washington first condemns Moise, in the midst of the serious institutional crisis that started with the judges and the opposition.
“I am alarmed by the recent authoritarian and undemocratic actions, from the unilateral dismissal and appointment of judges to the Supreme Court to attacks on journalists,” Chung said.
The State Department official said the United States “will not remain silent when democratic institutions and civil society are attacked.”
“We condemn any attempts to undermine democracy through violence, repression of civil liberties or intimidation,” he said.
He also urged all parties to the Haitian crisis to commit to holding the 2019 postponed parliamentary elections as soon as possible.
In this way, Chung was referring to the controversial dismissal of three judges from the Supreme Court, who were charged last week by the president of Haiti with planning a coup. The Haitian constitution prevents the dismissal of high court judges, such as Moise hours after the opposition announced that she does not recognize the authority of the president and has appointed “interim president.” Judge Joseph Mécène Jean Louis, one of three from.
Due to the postponement of the 2019 parliamentary elections, the parliament was not renewed, which has been practically closed since January 2020, a circumstance that allowed Moise to rule by decree ever since. Moise plans to hold a referendum in April to approve a new constitution.