As December 2019 arrived, Haiti entered the final month of one of its most difficult years in recent memory — exhausted, economically diminished, and politically paralyzed, but not broken. Ordinary Haitians who had endured months of uncertainty, rising prices, insecurity, and interrupted services were looking for any sign that the political class might find the wisdom and will to chart a new course.
The immediate political horizon offered little comfort. President Moïse remained in office, ruling by decree as the legislature had ceased to function. The opposition remained divided and had not produced a unified alternative to the status quo. Negotiations mediated by the Catholic Church and international partners had not produced a framework for elections.
But beneath the political surface, there were signs that Haitian society was adapting and looking forward. Business leaders were drafting recovery plans. Community organizations were running educational programs and health clinics. Young Haitians were building startups and tech ventures. Artists were creating. Teachers were teaching when they could. The country’s remarkable human capital, so often frustrated by political dysfunction, was straining toward the future even when the present offered so little encouragement.
The question for December and for the year ahead was whether the political class could catch up with the resilience and determination of the people they were supposed to serve.