Haiti: The December 21 Agreement Denounces the Total Failure of the Transition

The signatories of the December 21, 2022 political agreement are sounding a dramatic alarm. In a statement released yesterday, the “December 21” agreement described the transition led by the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) as a “total failure” and depicted a catastrophic national situation.

Despite the April 3, 2024 agreement aimed at a “peaceful and orderly transition,” the multidimensional crisis has worsened. The agreement highlights staggering figures: gang violence, particularly from “Viv Ansanm,” has caused the forced displacement of 1.3 million Haitians, a record according to the IOM.

The economy is in “asphyxiation,” with inflation at 26.8%, plummeting growth (-2.5%), and a collapse in private investment (-36.3%). The “December 21” agreement accuses the CPT, “more dysfunctional than ever,” of prioritizing “overblown personal ambitions” over responsibility and national cohesion.

It also criticizes the draft of the new constitution, deemed to stem from insufficiently inclusive consultations and likely to deepen social divides in a paralyzing climate of insecurity. Facing this “shipwreck,” the signatories, representing various factions, issue an urgent call for unity, patriotic courage, and concessions from all stakeholders.

They demand an immediate resumption of discussions, under international mediation, to salvage the final stage of the transition and enable elections under acceptable security conditions, now impossible before February 2026.