Democrats ask Biden to withdraw support for intervention in Haiti

A group of House Democrats on Friday called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for a planned multinational military intervention in Haiti.

In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), six Democratic lawmakers said the administration should instead focus on cutting off the country’s gangs from access to illicit arms and ammunition.

“Another armed foreign intervention in Haiti will not result in the necessary Haitian-led transition to a democratic government, rather it risks further destabilizing the country, endangering more innocent people, and entrenching the current, illegitimate regime,” they wrote.

“We believe that a genuine commitment to supporting the Haitian people requires the United States to withdraw support from de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.”

Pressley was joined in the letter by Democratic Reps. Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) and Jim McGovern (Mass.).