As 2019 drew to a close, Haiti stood at a crossroads, exhausted by a year of political paralysis, economic contraction, and social suffering, yet showing the remarkable resilience that has characterized the Haitian people through centuries of adversity. The year had been defined by the twin forces of mass protest against corruption and the determined refusal of President Jovenel Moïse to step down, a standoff that left the country without a functioning parliament and paralyzed essential public services.
The toll of the year was evident in the economic data: an economy that had contracted, inflation that had surged above 20 percent, a currency that had lost a quarter of its value, and millions of citizens struggling to meet their most basic needs. Haiti’s public debt had risen sharply, and its fiscal position was deeply precarious.
Yet beyond the statistics, Haitians continued to find ways to survive and care for one another. Community networks, church organizations, diaspora remittances, and the informal economy provided lifelines where the state had failed. Artists continued to create, educators found ways to teach, and health workers found ways to serve their communities despite enormous obstacles.
The question heading into 2020 was whether Haitian political leaders would find the wisdom and will to break the deadlock before the accumulated damage became irreversible.