SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) 鈥� The U.S. warned the transitional council in charge of Haiti against making changes to the troubled country鈥檚 government late Wednesday, as pressure mounts for the unelected body to move toward elections for the first time in a decade.
In a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti wrote that 鈥淭he United States would consider that any person who supports such a destabilizing initiative, which favors the gangs, would be acting against the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people, and will take appropriate measures accordingly.”
The U.S. Embassy added that such a maneuver would undermine efforts to establish 鈥渁 minimal level of security and stability鈥� in Haiti, where gang violence is surging and poverty deepening.
The statement came as some members of the council are at odds with , although it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear why. The council met behind closed doors earlier Wednesday and again on Thursday.
The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs wrote on X Thursday night that Haiti’s chronic instability is a result of 鈥渃orrupt Haitian politicians who use gangs and other armed groups to create chaos in the streets and then insist on a role in government to turn down the chaos they themselves have created.鈥�
鈥淩eal stability will come when political leaders get their power from the support of voters rather than their ability to sow chaos. The members of the (council) who have followed this path are not Haitian patriots. They are criminals like the gangs they conspire with,鈥� the bureau wrote.
A spokesman for the prime minister鈥檚 office said he could not comment on the situation. The council鈥檚 seven members with voting powers did not return messages asking for comment.
Meanwhile, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the council’s leader, said in a statement that he opposes any push to undermine government stability ahead of Feb. 7, when the council is provisionally scheduled to step down.
鈥淎s major institutional deadlines for the Nation approach, any initiative likely to fuel instability, confusion or a breakdown of trust carries serious risks for the country,” he wrote. 鈥淗aiti cannot afford to make unilateral decisions or engage in short-sighted political calculations that would compromise the stability and continuity of the State, as well as the well-being of the already sorely tested population.鈥�
Unelected council was put in charge to quell chaos
It’s the latest episode in years of political chaos that erupted after Haiti’s last elected president, Jovenel Mo茂se, in July 2021.
The council has been one of the country’s top authorities since April 2024. It was created with the help of Caribbean leaders after powerful gangs forced the closure of and targeted key state infrastructure in a series of unprecedented attacks that eventually led .
The council was charged with selecting Haiti鈥檚 prime minister in a bid to quickly bring some stability to the beleaguered country.
Fils-Aim茅 is the third person chosen by the council. A businessman and former head of Haiti’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he was appointed in November 2025 after the council fired previous leader .
The council is supposed to step down by Feb. 7, but it鈥檚 unclear if that will happen. Critics say some council members are trying to stay in power longer, and many fear the move could unleash a fresh round of violent protests.
The Feb. 7 deadline was approved in early 2024 on the assumption that Haiti would have held general elections to elect a new president. has prevented officials from holding elections so far, although they are tentatively set for August, with a runoff to be held in December.
UN Security Council meets to discuss Haiti
A new U.N. report released Wednesday noted that 鈥渘ational stakeholders remain divided over the transitional governance architecture that is to lead the country to elections.鈥�
Earlier on Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council met to discuss the unraveling situation in Haiti.
鈥淗aiti has entered a critical phase in its process of restoring democratic institutions,鈥� said Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, special representative of the U.N. Secretary General in Haiti. 鈥淭he country no longer has time to waste in prolonged infighting.鈥�
Panamanian Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba noted at the meeting that Haiti is at a 鈥渃ritical juncture,鈥� with only 18 days left for the transitional presidential council鈥檚 mandate to end.
鈥淭he persistent nature of violence 鈥� remains of utmost concern,鈥� he said.
Several U.N. Security Council members noted that Haiti needs to quickly move toward a democratic transition as gangs continue to seize control of more territory.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a need to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility 鈥� to sustain continuity of state and avoid any disruptions that may undermine the operation of national institutions,鈥� said Ericq Pierre, permanent representative of Haiti to the United Nations.
Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti鈥檚 capital, and in the country鈥檚 central region.
More than 8,100 killings were reported across Haiti from January to November last year, 鈥渨ith figures likely underreported owing to limited access to gang-controlled areas,鈥� according to the U.N. report.
Haiti鈥檚 National Police has been trying to quell gang violence with help from a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that remains understaffed and underfunded.
The mission that would have the power to arrest suspected gang members.
Haiti鈥檚 government also has been working with a private military contractor to launch drone strikes targeting suspected gang members, but which have also killed civilians. The strikes killed more than 970 people from March to December last year, including 39 civilians, 16 of them children, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
___
A previous version of this report incorrect described Garry Conille as the first person chosen as prime minister by the transitional council. He was the second.
___
Associated Press reporter Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
