Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign from his position on Monday, the current president of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) announced at a press conference after a meeting in Jamaica about the country, devastated by gang violence and a governance crisis.

"We take note of the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry," declared Mohamed Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana and CARICOM, in statements reported by AFP, announcing "a transitional governance agreement that paves the way for a peaceful transition of power." The agreement for the future of Haiti establishes "the creation of a transitional Presidential Council, composed of seven voting members and two non-voting observers," said the president of Guyana.

Said council will exercise presidential authorities during the transition, operating by majority vote.

Excluded from that group will be anyone who is accused or has been convicted in any jurisdiction, anyone under U.N. sanction or who intends to run in the upcoming elections in Haiti, and anyone who opposes Security Council Resolution 2699 of the U.N., which approves the deployment of forces from various countries to assist the Haitian police.

Henry, who should have left power in February but postponed elections citing national security issues, is highly questioned in his country, where gangs and part of the population demanded his resignation.

As indicated later by a U.S. official, Ariel Henry confirmed his resignation to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone conversation with the head of U.S. diplomacy. The questioned Haitian leader, stranded in Puerto Rico while his country suffers from gang violence, will be welcome if he decides to stay in that U.S. territory in the Caribbean, that source added.