Marco Rubio Stands By Haitian Prime Minister As U.S. Warns Politicians Against Removing Him: 'Combat Terrorist Gangs'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed his support for Haitian Prime Minister Alix Fils-Aime amid reports that members of the country's transitional council want to remove him.

The State Department noted in a press release that Rubio "emphasized the importance of his continued tenure as Haiti's Prime Minister to combat terrorist gangs and stabilize the island."

Rubio went on to say that the transitional council will have to end at its supposed date, February 7, and reiterated a previous warning from the administration to politicians who appear to be planning to stay in power.

The document said the body must "be dissolved by February 7 without corrupt actors seeking to interfere in Haiti's path to elected governance for their own gains."

"Haiti's leader must choose Haiti's stability. The United States will ensure there is a steep cost for corrupt politicians who support vicious gangs and wreak terrorism on Haiti," the statement ends.

The U.S. government, as well as other countries and bodies around the world, have been issuing stern warnings ahead of the date in which the council is supposed to be dissolved. The deadline was approved on the assumption that the country would have held elections by then, but that hasn't happened.

On Thursday, the U.S. embassy in the beleaguered Caribbean country said its "chronic instability is not a result of deficiency in character, culture or Constitution," but a result of "corrupt political leaders using gangs and other armed groups to sow chaos in the streets and then demand a role in government claiming to be capable to tame the mess they themselves caused."

The embassy also noted that, should politicians go down that path, the country will take "appropriate measures accordingly." The Associated Press reported that it isn't clear why members of the transitional council are seeking to remove Fils-Aime. A spokesman for him said he couldn't comment on the situation and members of the council with voting powers didn't address the matter either.

The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing situation there: "The country no longer has time to waste in prolonged infighting," said Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, special representative of the U.N. Secretary General in Haiti.

Ericq Pierre, permanent representative of Haiti to the United Nations, noted on his end that "there's a need to approach this deadline with a sense of responsibility ... to sustain continuity of state and avoid any disruptions that may undermine the operation of national institutions."

• U.S. Warns Haitian Politicians Against 'Destabilizing' The Country And Threatens With 'Appropriate Measures'
• Doctors Without Borders Closes Port-au-Prince Clinic as Police Raids Fuel Violence

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.