Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae speaks to media at the United Nations in New York on September 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Canada is trying to dislodge a political impasse in Haiti by sending one of its top diplomats to that country.
Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, starts an in-person push for negotiations today in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti is facing a series of crises, as armed gangs block access to fuel and essentials, leading to water and power outages that is worsening an outbreak of cholera.
The Haitian government has asked for a foreign military to intervene and push out the gangs, but opponents argue that might only prolong an unpopular government in a country that has not had elections since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada might be part of an intervention, but only if there is a consensus among Haiti’s fractured political scene.
Rae’s three-day visit will include talks with politicians, grassroots groups and the United Nations, on how Canada could play a role in what the Liberals say would be “Haitian-led solutions.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.
