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// DOSSIER — oas-caricom-urge-security-election-support-haiti
OAS and CARICOM Urge Urgent Security and Election Support for Haiti Ahead of December Polls
REL_TIME: 23 Aug 2026 05:42Z · LANG: EN
Following a high-level joint delegation visit to Port-au-Prince, Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Albert Ramdin and CARICOM Secretary General Carla Barnett warned that Haiti is at a decisive point. They called on the international community to urgently accelerate security support for the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and intensify preparations for the December 13, 2026 general elections—the country's first in a decade. Despite voter registration launching a month ago, progress remains slow with only 282,000 of 6.4 million eligible ID holders registered, prompting a $3 million grant from Japan to boost registration efforts. Meanwhile, rampant gang violence has displaced 1.5 million people, and the OAS faces pressure from U.S. lawmakers to deliver tangible results to secure its own funding.
// Background
Haiti has not held a general election in a decade, with political instability deepening significantly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Since then, violent armed gangs have seized control of most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and expanded into rural areas, displacing a record 1.5 million people and triggering a severe humanitarian crisis. The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) was deployed to help local police reclaim territory, but it remains underfunded and under-equipped.
// Key Developments
- OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin and CARICOM Secretary General Carla Barnett concluded a high-level visit to Haiti to assess security and election readiness.
- Haiti's first general elections in a decade are scheduled for December 13, 2026, but voter registration is critically slow with only 282,000 registered out of 6.4 million ID holders.
- Japan has provided a $3 million grant to support voter registration, while the OAS partnered with Viva Rio for community assistance and PAHO to build trauma centers for police.
- The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) requires urgent personnel, equipment, and funding to reclaim territory and secure critical transit routes from gangs.
- U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart warned that future OAS funding is contingent on the organization showing concrete progress in resolving Haiti's crisis.
// Timeline
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Approximately 1.4 million Haitians lack official identification documents, limiting access to basic services.
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OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin and CARICOM Secretary General Carla Barnett arrive in Port-au-Prince for a high-level joint delegation visit.
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The joint delegation concludes its visit; Ramdin holds a press conference urging accelerated security and electoral support, and Japan announces a $3 million voter registration grant.
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A scheduled U.S. deportation flight is set to return over 170 Haitians following the expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
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Haiti is scheduled to hold its first general elections in a decade.
// Perspectives
[Organization of American States (OAS)]
Advocating for immediate international mobilization of political, technical, and financial support to secure Haiti's critical infrastructure and ensure credible elections.
[U.S. House Appropriations Committee (via Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart)]
Demanding that the OAS show immediate, tangible progress in Haiti, threatening to cut or eliminate U.S. funding for the organization if it fails to deliver.
[Government of Japan]
Supporting the democratic process by providing a $3 million grant to improve citizen registration and establish a fair electoral framework.
[Haitian Government (Prime Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé)]
Seeking stronger regional ties, including requesting CARICOM to assign a permanent diplomat to Haiti, while pushing forward with elections despite severe gang violence.
// Quotes
“Haiti is at a decisive point. The future of Haiti belongs first and foremost to the Haitian people. But the international community also has responsibilities. Our task is clear: accelerate security support, intensify electoral preparations, fulfill the commitments already made, and ensure that our cooperation produces results that Haitians can see and experience in their daily lives.”
“The OAS has got to step up in a big way, big way. If they can't deliver for Haiti, then again, they're not going to be in the column next year of fully funded. They're going to be in the column of other institutions that we've eliminated or have seriously cut.”
