Haiti faces its isolation: the urgent need to rethink diplomacy in a Caribbean on the move

The May 7, 2025 meeting between Dominican President Luis Abinader and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked a symbolic turning point for international relations in the Caribbean.

While this event strengthens the ties between Washington and its regional partners, it also reveals a worrying divide: Haiti’s conspicuous absence from these strategic dialogues.

In a fast-changing Caribbean world, this exclusion underlines our growing diplomatic isolation.

Santo Domingo’s alliance with Washington illustrates a new geopolitical reality.

By tackling key issues such as security and the management of migratory flows, the Dominican Republic is establishing itself as a privileged partner for the United States.

This status as a strategic partner enables Santo Domingo to play a key role on the regional agenda, while Port-au-Prince seems to be gradually marginalized.

At a time when the region is mobilizing around transnational challenges (security, climate change, migration), Haiti is struggling to formulate a coherent voice, undermined by internal divisions and growing mistrust on the part of the international community.

The US administration, by prioritizing partners perceived as more stable, seems to be acknowledging this reality, at the risk of deepening the vacuum around Port-au-Prince.

This isolation is not without danger. Without Haiti at the negotiating table, regional solutions to migration and security crises will remain partial.

The Dominican Republic can’t take on the challenges of an island it shares with Haiti on its own.

To regain its place, Haiti must urgently reinvent its diplomatic strategy.

No diplomatic credibility is possible without a legitimate government and functioning institutions.

Port-au-Prince needs to forge alliances, particularly with CARICOM, to amplify its voice and participate in multilateral initiatives.

By formulating concrete proposals, particularly on security, Haiti could regain Washington’s attention.

The Caribbean world is on the move, and Haiti cannot afford to be left behind. We need a courageous overhaul of Haitian diplomacy.

In the geopolitical equation, empty seats always end up being occupied by others.

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