Congresswoman Waters urges U.S. to oppose Haiti’s elections for safety issue

California congresswoman Maxine Waters implored the U.S. to reject Haiti’s plans to hold elections in 2021 because of the violence in the country. 

The letter, sent to Michele J. Sison, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti on Monday, deviates from the U.S. stance in favor of Haiti holding elections. U.S. diplomats have suggested that anyone who opposes elections might face consequences. 

“I write to urge you to use your considerable diplomatic experience and influence with the government of Haiti to promote respect for the rule of law and basic human rights and to oppose the organization of elections in Haiti,” Waters wrote in the letter. 

In a prior letter sent in May, Waters had told Sison that Haiti faced “grave danger.” Since then, violent gangs have attacked Bel Air, Port-au-Prince, killing at least 20 people and leaving scores homeless. 

Monferrier Dorval, the head of the Port-au-Prince bar, was also assassinated after Waters’s initial letter. College students have been protesting to denounce the insecurity, but it turned into a skirmish between them and the police.