Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, clearing path for new government amid gang crisis

Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister of Haiti, clearing the pathway for a new government to form in the Caribbean nation as it faces ongoing problems with gang violence. 

Henry presented his resignation in a letter he signed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and his office posted it online Thursday, the same day that a council is set to be sworn in to pick a new prime minister and cabinet, according to The Hill.

This follows Henry's promise he made last month to resign as soon as a transition council and temporary replacement were put in place. 

The new nine-member council is set to establish the new Cabinet's agenda and a national security council and appoint a provisional electorial commission that would be in charge of elections for the country. 

None of Haiti's leaders have been elected since January 2023, when the terms of all members of Parliament dissolved. Henry, who became prime minister after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, was also unelected.

While the country has faced violence problems in recent years, the issue intensified last month after gangs stormed two major prisons and released thousands of inmates. 

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