Opinion | The solution for Haiti should be driven by Haitians

In the place of calling for a military intervention that will prop up that failed, dysfunctional state, couldn’t the editorial, in its criticism of the Biden administration’s own failure in Haiti, have recommended something other than boots on the ground?How about calling for sanctions with teeth against those fueling Haiti’s violence, active support from the Biden administration for the aforementioned coalition and for the police reforms it proposes, and the aggressive application of U.S. criminal codes against American and Haitian citizens who are breaking them in their pursuit of power, wealth and privilege in Haiti?

Yes, the West is fiddling, but so is The Post.

The writer is a former director of the Haiti program at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and a former U.S. government official with the Inter-American Foundation and the State Department.

Though I laud the May 19 editorial for seeking a path forward for Haiti, I believe military intervention would be hazardous and shortsighted.

As donor governments consider the same failed strategies, namely jamming solutions and U.S.-compliant leaders down the throats of the Haitian populace, I’m struck by the arrogance. Donors cannot simply recycle bad strategy to fix today’s widespread crises, at least if success is the aim.

With or without military intervention, the international community has proved itself incapable of creating stability in Haiti, and Haiti’s “government” is not merely ineffectual; it has failed the Haitian people completely, particularly since the Biden administration anointed Ariel Henry as de facto prime minister in July 2021. Not long after, civil society and opposition political parties reached a historic political accord without Mr. Henry, with a process to form a transitional government, priorities, and a plan to restore security and create adequate conditions for elections. The international community largely dismissed this agreement and continues to push for rushed elections, despite a minuscule likelihood that the results of Henry-led elections will be acceptable to Haitians.

Even as Western donor nations “promote” a broad, political consensus, they prevent such harmony by insisting that their chosen, illegitimate designee as head of state be included in any agreement. To my Haitian friends and me, Mr. Henry is anything but a Haitian-led solution, as he has done nothing to help the people or pursue justice for the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. I remain confident that, with a removal of international support for this failed, puppet prime minister, the Haitian people would reach a sociopolitical agreement and create a far more trustworthy partner, for both the populace and the international community. Building a solid Haitian political foundation representing the citizenry would greatly boost the probability of success of any international security intervention, elections and development partnerships.

The writer, a retired ambassador, is a former U.S. special envoy for Haiti.

The May 19 editorial on Haiti was very right to decry the negligence of Haiti by the Biden administration. Its diplomacy has been almost laughable. First a dalliance with a “coalition of the willing,” which never formed. Then an attempt to slough off the job to Canada. The United States has sent soldiers to Haiti three times in the contemporary era: in 1994, 2004 and 2010.

At this point, it either has to send them again or get the U.N. Security Council to send its own. There, Russia and China have approved five past missions to Haiti over the decades but, never having received anything from us for doing that, are now balking at a new one. We would actually have to negotiate with them, something that this administration disdains doing.

James Morrell, Washington

The writer is director of the Haiti Democracy Project.