As Haiti’s political crisis persisted into spring 2019, international diplomatic activity around the country intensified, with the United States, Canada, France, and the Organization of American States all stepping up their engagement in search of a framework that could unlock dialogue between the government and opposition.
The Core Group — the informal body of ambassadors and international representatives that has long played an influential role in Haitian politics — issued several statements calling for dialogue and the creation of conditions for legislative elections. The group’s communiqués carefully avoided taking sides between the government and opposition while making clear that the status quo was unsustainable.
Behind the scenes, diplomats reported that finding common ground was extraordinarily difficult. The opposition’s insistence on Moïse’s resignation as a precondition for talks, and the government’s categorical refusal to entertain that demand, left little room for creative diplomacy. Several proposed frameworks for transitional arrangements were floated and rejected.
Some analysts questioned the depth of international commitment to resolving the crisis, noting that Haiti rarely attracted sustained high-level attention from major powers except during acute humanitarian emergencies. Others argued that the limits of international influence over Haitian political dynamics had always been significant and that ultimately a solution had to come from within Haiti itself.