In August 2021, a broad coalition of Haitian civil society organizations, political parties, and sector representatives signed what became known as the Montana Accord — named for the Pétion-Ville hotel where negotiations were held — establishing an alternative framework for Haitian governance that challenged the legitimacy of Ariel Henry’s government and proposed a Haitian-led transitional arrangement.
The accord represented one of the most significant efforts by Haitian civil society to chart an independent political path in the aftermath of the assassination, rather than simply accepting the international community’s selection of Henry. The signatories argued that Haiti needed a genuinely transitional government with broader political legitimacy, rather than a continuation of governance structures that had failed to provide security, stability, or democratic accountability.
The Montana Accord established a transitional governance structure led by a commission that selected former central bank governor Fritz Jean as transitional president and Steven Benoît as prime minister. The accord’s proponents argued that this structure, reflecting broader Haitian political consensus, would have more legitimacy than Henry’s government and would be better positioned to organize credible elections.
The international community, however, primarily backed Ariel Henry, declining to recognize the Montana Accord arrangement as the legitimate governing authority. This international rejection significantly constrained the accord’s ability to exercise actual power, but the accord’s supporters maintained their position as an alternative political framework and continued to insist on the legitimacy of their approach as the years of crisis continued.