Haiti at the Breaking Point: The Time to Choose Leaders Is Now
Three decades of betrayal have brought the nation to the brink. Integrity, sovereignty, and survival demand calling forward Michel Soukar, Bayinnah Bello, Dr. Frantz Large, and Professor Lyonel Trouillot to lead a true transitional government.
Haitian Politics & Governance | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | August 9, 2025
Haiti is a nation pushed to the edge, trapped under decades of corruption, betrayal, and foreign manipulation. For more than a generation, the same political families, their allies, and their loyal enforcers have rotated in and out of power, enriching themselves at the expense of the people. The faces on campaign posters may change, the party slogans may shift, but the results remain painfully predictable: public funds vanish into private accounts, national institutions are hollowed out, and the population is left without the security, opportunity, or dignity that every citizen deserves. This is not governance — it is organized exploitation. Hunger, poverty, and insecurity have been weaponized to keep the majority dependent and submissive, while those at the top continue to thrive.
“Haiti is not failing by accident — it is being held hostage by a system designed to keep it weak.” — Haitian political analyst, Port-au-Prince.
Since the end of the Duvalier era, the Haitian people have been promised a new era of democracy, justice, and development. The rhetoric of reform has been repeated so often it has become meaningless. Each election brings renewed assurances that change is coming, yet what follows is a deeper entrenchment of the same corrupt system. Those who hold power have learned that a divided, impoverished, and fearful population is easier to manipulate. They distract with promises, while deals are struck behind closed doors that mortgage the country’s sovereignty to the highest bidder. This is not accidental — it is the deliberate design of a political order built to serve the few at the expense of the many.
Three Decades of Betrayal
Over the past thirty years, the Haitian political system has operated like a revolving door for the same class of operators. Politicians rebrand themselves, change party affiliations, and adopt new slogans, but the intentions remain the same. Instead of strengthening the judiciary, they manipulate it to shield allies and punish rivals. Instead of professionalizing the police, they politicize it to serve partisan ends. Instead of empowering parliament to legislate in the public interest, they fill it with brokers for criminal networks, private business interests, or foreign agendas.
“In Haiti, power is not earned through service — it is bought, traded, and passed around like a family heirloom.” — Haitian diaspora commentator, Miami.
Public resources are treated as spoils of war. Billions in aid and development funds — from PetroCaribe to post-earthquake assistance — have evaporated without producing the infrastructure, education, or healthcare they were intended to build. National assets have been sold under unfavorable terms that strip Haiti of control over its own economic future. Time and again, those responsible face no consequences. In this political environment, corruption is not punished; it is rewarded. The Haitian people have been reduced to spectators in a recurring tragedy, watching betrayal unfold in slow motion.
Ending the Master–Slave Relationship
Haiti’s internal decay is inseparable from its external entanglements. For decades, the nation has been treated as a client state by foreign powers and international institutions. Policy decisions have been dictated from abroad, leaders have been pre-selected or approved by outsiders, and aid has often been administered in ways that bypass the Haitian state altogether, further undermining its legitimacy. Under the banners of “cooperation” and “partnership,” sovereignty has been chipped away piece by piece until it exists more in rhetoric than in practice.
This has taken the form of partnerships where foreign governments dictate conditions before asking what the Haitian people actually need; “aid” programs structured to serve donor interests rather than local priorities; and economic deals where profits flow outward while the risks and burdens remain in Haiti. Such arrangements are not partnerships in the true sense — they are mechanisms of control. They are built on the assumption that Haiti must accept whatever is offered, regardless of the cost to its dignity or long-term independence.
“A partnership that demands obedience and sacrifices sovereignty is not a partnership — it is submission.” — Haitian historian, Cap-Haïtien.
No nation should accept a relationship that undermines its sovereignty or treats its people as subordinates. Haiti has the right — and the responsibility — to choose its partners carefully, forging alliances only with those who treat the country as an equal. True partnership means listening before imposing, cooperating before commanding, and respecting the decisions of the Haitian people even when those decisions are not convenient for outside interests. It is time to reject arrangements that strip away autonomy and to insist on relationships that are rooted in mutual respect, equality, and the defense of Haiti’s dignity.
Refusing to Wait for Leaders
In Haiti’s political landscape, those most eager to present themselves as leaders are often those least fit to lead. The corrupt and the power-hungry move quickly because they see public office as a business opportunity — a position from which they can enrich themselves and shield their crimes from justice. Meanwhile, those who could truly guide the nation — the principled, capable, and selfless — are often too busy serving their communities, preserving history, providing education, healing the sick, or advocating for justice to seek political power.
“If the people do not choose their leaders, the corrupt will choose them for them.” — Haitian human rights advocate, Montreal.
This imbalance means that unless the people actively call forward these qualified leaders, the political vacuum will always be filled by opportunists. Waiting for good leadership to emerge on its own is not a strategy; it is a guarantee that the same network of predators will return to power. Leaders must be identified, encouraged, and publicly supported before the corrupt make their move. This is not only about naming individuals — it is about taking ownership of the country’s future and ensuring that power is placed in the hands of those who will use it to serve, not exploit.
Michel Soukar. Bayinnah Bello. Dr. Frantz Large. Professor Lyonel Trouillot.
These four individuals have already demonstrated their commitment to Haiti’s well-being through years of work outside the political circus. They have defended the truth of its history, educated its people, provided healing and humanitarian service, and spoken out against injustice without seeking personal political gain. They have not participated in the dismantling of Haiti’s institutions or the looting of its resources. Instead, they have worked to safeguard the nation’s identity, strengthen its communities, and protect its dignity.
“Leadership is not about seeking power; it is about answering the call when the nation needs you.” — Haitian academic, Paris.
This is the moment for them to step forward. Their leadership is needed not for personal ambition but for the rescue of the nation. Their vision, courage, and moral authority are essential to stabilizing the country, restoring security, and ensuring that the next elections are genuinely free, fair, and credible. The call to them is clear: the Haitian people see their service, trust their integrity, and are ready to stand with them. Should they accept, their mandate must be defended against the political predators who thrive on chaos and fear honest governance. This is not a call to join the old game — it is a call to end it.
The Mandate
A transitional council led by these figures must remain focused on three urgent objectives. First, to pacify the nation by restoring public safety, dismantling gang networks, and ending politically driven violence. Second, to rebuild the core institutions of governance by securing the independence of the judiciary, restoring the credibility of the electoral council, and enforcing anti-corruption measures with real consequences. Third, to prepare for credible elections through a transparent, fixed timeline and a process safeguarded against fraud, manipulation, and intimidation. These goals are non-negotiable, and nothing less will suffice to put Haiti back on the path to stability and dignity.
A Final Call to the People of Haiti
Entrusting the same corrupt network with power again would not be a mistake — it would be complicity. The choice before the Haitian people is no longer between political parties or ideological labels; it is between survival and collapse. This is the moment to reject recycled leadership, end the master–slave dynamic in both domestic politics and foreign relations, and place the future in the hands of those who have already proven their loyalty to the nation’s well-being.
“Haiti’s future will not be handed to it — it must be claimed, protected, and built by the people who refuse to surrender.” — Haitian diaspora leader, New York.
The path forward demands courage — the courage to break with the past, to confront the entrenched interests that profit from disorder, and to insist on leaders who understand that power is a responsibility, not a reward. Haiti’s destiny will be determined by whether that courage is found now, before it is too late. The time to choose is not tomorrow. It is now.
The Haitian Pulse stands firmly for the right of the Haitian people to integrity, sovereignty, and dignity. Recycled corruption must be rejected, foreign domination must be resisted, and the leadership needed for national renewal must be chosen without delay. Leave your thoughts in the comments below — your voice matters.
Comments