2026-01-13

The CARICOM Group of Eminent Persons issued a statement January 12 expressing deep concern about the slowness of Haitian actors in finding common ground despite points of convergence in numerous publicly available transition proposals, representing the second warning in four days following the January 9 statement that time is running out. The January 12 escalation indicates CARICOM has identified viable frameworks with overlapping elements across multiple proposals but views the negotiation impasse as a failure of political will rather than absence of technical solutions. The statement specifically references points of convergence in proposals, suggesting CARICOM technical staff have analyzed civil society frameworks, political party positions, and international recommendations to identify areas of agreement that Haitian actors are failing to capitalize on. CARICOM's characterization of actor slowness rather than proposal inadequacy signals growing international frustration with what regional observers interpret as deliberate delay tactics serving individual political interests at the expense of national stability. The call for actors to demonstrate patriotism above all if Haitians wish to decide their own destiny implies CARICOM views the negotiation stalemate as self-interested maneuvering rather than principled disagreement over governance structures. This framing suggests the alternative to Haitian-led consensus may be external imposition of a transition framework, which CARICOM has historically opposed but may consider unavoidable if domestic actors exhaust the remaining twenty-five day window without reaching agreement. The timing of two warnings within four days indicates CARICOM assesses the critical decision window is narrowing to immediate timeframes rather than the full remaining period until February 7. If CARICOM issues warnings January 9 and January 12 with escalating language, the regional body likely expects concrete movement toward consensus by January 17, leaving twenty-one days for implementation rather than negotiation. Failure to demonstrate progress this week may trigger CARICOM January 13, 2026 emergency Heads of Government summit convening, withdrawal from facilitation role leaving Haiti to manage February 7 transition unilaterally, or endorsement of a specific proposal over others to break the deadlock.