2025-12-18

CRISIS The Committee to Protect Journalists released a comprehensive report December 15 titled A Fight for Government Transparency Amid Haiti's Insecurity documenting systemic government hostility toward media oversight and constitutional violations including the passage of the national budget in secret without publication. The CPJ assessment reveals media outlets filed complaints that the interim government displayed a lack of transparency in efforts to hold the country together including failure to publish its budget passed in secret as well as controversial hiring of foreign military contractors who used armed drones to battle gangs. The public ombudsman Jean Wilner Morin challenged Prime Minister Fils-Aime in early December over deteriorating security in Artibonite communities after the government failed to address the Pont-Sonde massacre demonstrating institutional resistance to executive accountability. December 18, 2025 The revelation that the government passed its budget in secret without publication constitutes a constitutional violation that directly undermines one of three electoral process prerequisites established by the Provisional Electoral Council. The CEP determined elections require security conditions permitting voter access, institutional capacity for electoral administration, and necessary financial resources to conduct voting operations. If the government refuses to disclose how public funds are allocated the CEP cannot demonstrate it possesses necessary financial resources to conduct credible elections on August 30 2026. This transparency failure creates legal grounds for opposition figures to challenge electoral legitimacy before voting occurs effectively providing a constitutional justification for boycott strategies that would delegitimize the transitional process. The CPJ report also disclosed that government drone strikes against gangs resulted in civilian casualties including eight children killed at a birthday party in September raising urgent questions about rules of engagement and oversight mechanisms for military contractors operating armed drones in urban environments. The CPJ documented journalist intimidation with reporters stating government officials told them to stop doing propaganda for gangs and only broadcast government propaganda demonstrating systematic suppression of independent media coverage. The report notes the United Nations backed deployment of a 5,000-strong Gang Suppression Force but officials do not expect it to be operational before June 2026 confirming previous intelligence assessments that GSF deployment remains incomplete with operational capacity questions unresolved. The combination of budget secrecy, civilian casualty coverups, and media intimidation suggests the transitional government operates with minimal accountability constraints despite constitutional requirements for transparency.