A Democratic Senator Urges Marco Rubio to Prioritize the Haitian Crisis and the Fight Against Armed Violence
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
WASHINGTON.— Jeanne Shaheen, Senator from New Hampshire and leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to the U.S. Secretary of State to request particular attention to the security crisis in Haiti, according to information reported by the Miami Herald newspaper, in an article published on May 12, 2025.
In her letter, Jeanne Shaheen emphasized that Mr. Rubio, in his capacity as a former senator, had repeatedly supported Haiti. He should consider the possibility of restoring budget cuts and promoting funding for the international armed mission to combat gangs, MH reported.
The senator also suggests engaging in high-level discussions with key countries such as Russia and China, in order to establish the foundations for an official United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
«Without strong American leadership, Haiti is in danger and could become a failed state, overrun by armed criminal groups,» Shaheen claims, expressing her concerns about the worsening situation on the ground. According to her, this would constitute an additional tragedy and exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis for the Haitian people.
«Such a situation could also lead to a massive migration crisis, with significant regional consequences, while risking transforming Haiti into a transnational hub for crime and drug trafficking, a few hundred kilometers from the American coast,» she warned.
This letter comes in a context where the absence of a clear American policy regarding Haiti raises questions. The humanitarian and security situation is deteriorating, as for the future of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, led by Kenya, it is under-equipped and under-funded, with an imminent risk of failure. Barely a thousand of the 2,500 planned security personnel have been sent to Haiti, and most promises have not been kept.
While attempting to highlight the initiatives of the United States and the international community to address this crisis, Jeanne Shaheen calls for stronger and more coherent mobilization to protect what represents the future of Haiti.
