February 7, 2026: The CPT Departs, Didier Fils-Aimé Arrives – Washington Has the Final Say Once More. Long Live Uncle Sam!
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince · · 6 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
The U.S. government's decision to completely remove the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) from the governance of Haiti is not only a brutal political act: it also reveals an ethical rift. Washington accuses these leaders of having fueled criminal gangs now classified as terrorist organizations, criminal groups to which the assassination of thousands of Haitians is attributed.
The question, therefore, is how this observation — however harsh it may be — can help us rebuild Haitian society on solid foundations. For, in this context of constant manipulation, the CPT's latest meetings, organized at the Hotel Montana, have once again shown how unhealthy Haitian politics can become: a refuge for often incompetent, ambitious, and cynical actors.
Their actions might suggest they have lost their minds. But to reduce them to madness is to condemn oneself to never understanding them. They are not insane: they obey a political rationality different from ours and pursue objectives consistent with their agenda. They perhaps did not expect to encounter fierce opposition from the United States to the overthrow of Didier Fils-Aimé, to whom the U.S. intends to entrust the reins of power after the CPT's mandate ends.
The displacement of national sovereignty is nothing new. Whether it's sought-after support or engaged recourse, the arbiter is often found in Washington. It matters little whether one claims to be left or right: we are exhausted. The American ships in the harbor of Port-au-Prince remind me of the episode where an American commander declared to Dr. Rosalvo Bobo: “The United States prohibits your candidacy for the presidency of Haiti because you represent a serious threat to your country.”
Historical facts do not repeat identically or mechanically, as in the exact sciences; rather, they reveal structural similarities. Historical lucidity therefore compels us to make conscious and civic choices, so as not to reproduce the same reflexes and the same impasses.
Once again, Washington decides for us!
The American presence, at this moment, can be read as a signal addressed to those who threaten the country's stability and Washington's interests in Haiti. The legal maneuvers intended to portray as illegal the resolution of the advisors who decided on the dismissal of the Prime Minister were merely delaying tactics. They aimed to mask a brutal reality, now evident: the center of power has officially shifted to Washington. In other words, a staged act attempted to cover a direct — and almost total — takeover of the country's leadership by the United States. The veil has fallen: either one aligns, or one contests, at the cost of the risks that implies. One does not enter politics out of whim, but with the conviction of being able to address the essential problems of the people. However, by seeking to succeed themselves, the fallen advisors are performing a coldly rational act, consistent with their interests, and, in the current situation, contrary to those of the citizens. The CPT is caught in the trap of its own logic. Its choices obey financial calculations more than the general interest. They have sold off the state. Such a fault, contrary to ethics, humiliates the people — the sole holders of national sovereignty. This political oligarchy, responsible for three foreign military interventions on national soil in less than three decades, has constantly attacked liberal democracy to protect its privileges rather than the common good. Today, it falters. And American pressure weighs on it more heavily than ever. In the confrontation between the CPT and Fils-Aimé, the outcome seems clear: the balance of power shifts in favor of the latter. The CPT steps aside, Didier Fils-Aimé is reinstated. Long live Washington, the true arbiter — and king — of Haiti's throne! The decisive question remains: is there a force, a national strategy, or a consensus capable of challenging this American decision — in other words, of reopening a process already presented as closed, and of restoring to Haitian actors control over the resolution of the crisis? Will they cooperate for fear of being on the wrong side of the barricade? It is already known that the new governance has the approval of international decision-makers. However, given the current climate, future developments remain uncertain, as some analyses highlight. Will the presence of American warships in Port-au-Prince be sufficiently deterrent — and lasting — to silence the clamor and prevent a new succession crisis? Our elite must learn from this
An elite is not defined solely by diplomas, academic titles, abundance, or wealth: it is also measured by responsibility. Because it possesses superior qualities — real or supposed — it has the duty to protect and serve the general interest. Every elite is responsible and must answer for its actions. However, for four decades, national sovereignty has progressively transferred to foreign powers, a direct consequence of our repeated failures, due in particular to our lack of a sense of responsibility. The philosopher Hegel, in *Reason in History*, writes: “Responsibility is the supreme destiny of man; only animals are irresponsible.” Without, however, exonerating the international community from its part in the collapse of Haiti — now acknowledged — we must recognize our responsibility, as a society, for having entrusted "animal" souls with the power to decide on behalf of the Republic. Deliberate, organized failures, aimed at plundering the state without ever being sanctioned, fuel impunity. To escape this state of affairs, a society of sanctions must be built. For only punishment restores the force of law and ethical demands. An individual man or woman can make a mistake. But when it is the nation that, from choice to choice, collectively persists in error, a conclusion is imperative. Two consecutive errors in history never entitle a third; we have committed more than a dozen. History, when well taught, becomes a school of morality: one relearns the meaning of sovereignty, independence, and homeland, the hearth of civic virtues. One does not triumph over a patriotic people. It is the balance of power that structures relations between states as well as between social classes. When the people yield, everything collapses. Haiti is humiliated by the corruption of its elites. The people, miserable, semi-illiterate, instrumentalized, manipulated, and exhausted by struggles that have brought them nothing, no longer have the strength to react. Alas! It is disheartening to witness this devastation, this unprecedented moral distress. In politics, one can be right and lose — and that is even more painful. It is equally overwhelming to feel that one is losing all the battles of a lifetime, even those not yet fought. Yet, in politics, nothing is irreversible: there is always a power to act. Let us have the strength to believe in it! I wish courage and hope to those who still have the strength to believe in a better future, even in adversity. Sonet Saint-Louis, Esq.
Professor of Constitutional Law and Advanced Legal Research Methodology
Professor of Philosophy
Université du Québec à Montréal
Montreal, February 6, 2026
sonet.saintlouis@gmail.com
Tel.: +509-44 07 35 80/+1-263 558 00 83
The American presence, at this moment, can be read as a signal addressed to those who threaten the country's stability and Washington's interests in Haiti. The legal maneuvers intended to portray as illegal the resolution of the advisors who decided on the dismissal of the Prime Minister were merely delaying tactics. They aimed to mask a brutal reality, now evident: the center of power has officially shifted to Washington. In other words, a staged act attempted to cover a direct — and almost total — takeover of the country's leadership by the United States. The veil has fallen: either one aligns, or one contests, at the cost of the risks that implies. One does not enter politics out of whim, but with the conviction of being able to address the essential problems of the people. However, by seeking to succeed themselves, the fallen advisors are performing a coldly rational act, consistent with their interests, and, in the current situation, contrary to those of the citizens. The CPT is caught in the trap of its own logic. Its choices obey financial calculations more than the general interest. They have sold off the state. Such a fault, contrary to ethics, humiliates the people — the sole holders of national sovereignty. This political oligarchy, responsible for three foreign military interventions on national soil in less than three decades, has constantly attacked liberal democracy to protect its privileges rather than the common good. Today, it falters. And American pressure weighs on it more heavily than ever. In the confrontation between the CPT and Fils-Aimé, the outcome seems clear: the balance of power shifts in favor of the latter. The CPT steps aside, Didier Fils-Aimé is reinstated. Long live Washington, the true arbiter — and king — of Haiti's throne! The decisive question remains: is there a force, a national strategy, or a consensus capable of challenging this American decision — in other words, of reopening a process already presented as closed, and of restoring to Haitian actors control over the resolution of the crisis? Will they cooperate for fear of being on the wrong side of the barricade? It is already known that the new governance has the approval of international decision-makers. However, given the current climate, future developments remain uncertain, as some analyses highlight. Will the presence of American warships in Port-au-Prince be sufficiently deterrent — and lasting — to silence the clamor and prevent a new succession crisis? Our elite must learn from this
An elite is not defined solely by diplomas, academic titles, abundance, or wealth: it is also measured by responsibility. Because it possesses superior qualities — real or supposed — it has the duty to protect and serve the general interest. Every elite is responsible and must answer for its actions. However, for four decades, national sovereignty has progressively transferred to foreign powers, a direct consequence of our repeated failures, due in particular to our lack of a sense of responsibility. The philosopher Hegel, in *Reason in History*, writes: “Responsibility is the supreme destiny of man; only animals are irresponsible.” Without, however, exonerating the international community from its part in the collapse of Haiti — now acknowledged — we must recognize our responsibility, as a society, for having entrusted "animal" souls with the power to decide on behalf of the Republic. Deliberate, organized failures, aimed at plundering the state without ever being sanctioned, fuel impunity. To escape this state of affairs, a society of sanctions must be built. For only punishment restores the force of law and ethical demands. An individual man or woman can make a mistake. But when it is the nation that, from choice to choice, collectively persists in error, a conclusion is imperative. Two consecutive errors in history never entitle a third; we have committed more than a dozen. History, when well taught, becomes a school of morality: one relearns the meaning of sovereignty, independence, and homeland, the hearth of civic virtues. One does not triumph over a patriotic people. It is the balance of power that structures relations between states as well as between social classes. When the people yield, everything collapses. Haiti is humiliated by the corruption of its elites. The people, miserable, semi-illiterate, instrumentalized, manipulated, and exhausted by struggles that have brought them nothing, no longer have the strength to react. Alas! It is disheartening to witness this devastation, this unprecedented moral distress. In politics, one can be right and lose — and that is even more painful. It is equally overwhelming to feel that one is losing all the battles of a lifetime, even those not yet fought. Yet, in politics, nothing is irreversible: there is always a power to act. Let us have the strength to believe in it! I wish courage and hope to those who still have the strength to believe in a better future, even in adversity. Sonet Saint-Louis, Esq.
Professor of Constitutional Law and Advanced Legal Research Methodology
Professor of Philosophy
Université du Québec à Montréal
Montreal, February 6, 2026
sonet.saintlouis@gmail.com
Tel.: +509-44 07 35 80/+1-263 558 00 83
