Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council gave its power to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime on Saturday. This means the 54-year-old businessman is now in charge of the country's executive duties. The United States supports this change. It hopes to help Haiti with its long-term political and security problems.
The council was formed in early 2024. This happened after President Jovenel Moise was killed. The council has faced big problems with gang violence. Gangs control most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. This makes daily life very difficult for people. The power transfer happened with high security. This shows how dangerous the situation is for Haiti's leaders. The former council president said Prime Minister Fils-Aime has a very big job.
The United States put pressure on Haiti for this change. Washington strongly supports Prime Minister Fils-Aime. The US believes he is important to fight gangs and bring back peace. In January, the US stopped visas for some council members. A US warship and other boats were also near Port-au-Prince.
The council tried to remove Prime Minister Fils-Aime before. This did not work. It shows there were disagreements within the council. We do not know the exact reasons why they failed. This makes Haiti's political situation more complex.
Now, Prime Minister Fils-Aime has all the executive power. His first big task is to organize elections. Haiti has not had elections in ten years. Gang violence makes this job very hard. The US is now backing one leader with power. This is a new approach for international help in Haiti. The next few months will show if this can bring peace and normal government back to the country.