As Haiti entered the final months of 2019, President Jovenel Moïse remained defiant in the face of unrelenting pressure from opposition politicians, civil society, and ordinary Haitians demanding his resignation. In a televised address, Moïse insisted that he would not abandon his mandate before its conclusion in 2022, calling on the opposition to engage in elections rather than street protests.
The opposition, led by figures including former Senator Jean-Charles Moïse and the LAPEH coalition, dismissed the president’s call as hollow given that the country lacked a functioning parliament — legislative elections required by the constitution had not been held — and that the executive was effectively governing by decree.
International partners including the United States, Canada, France, and the Organization of American States maintained their position that Haiti needed a political agreement to establish the conditions for elections. Diplomats from several countries shuttled between the presidential palace and opposition leaders in search of a framework for talks, but no breakthrough materialized.
The prolonged standoff had exhausted much of the country and created what observers described as a governance vacuum, with essential public services deteriorating and the state’s capacity to respond to citizen needs reaching a historic low.