Fritz Alphonse Jean slams US sanctions as diplomatic pressure to keep Fils-Aimé as PM

PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI —  Fritz Alphonse Jean, the Montana Accord representative on the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) and former central bank governor, strongly rejected the newly announced United States sanctions against him on Tuesday. 

He called them politically motivated measures aimed at pressuring the Council to keep Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé in office, despite growing dissatisfaction with his leadership.

During a tense press conference at the Villa d’Accueil in Port-au-Prince, Jean said the accusations of collusion with armed groups were “baseless” and aimed at intimidating CPT members as they debate whether to replace the prime minister. The sanctions, he argued, have “nothing to do with gangs” and everything to do with “foreign interference in a sovereign decision.”

The former Haitian central bank governor said the CPT faces sustained diplomatic pressure from the United States and Canada to maintain Fils-Aimé, despite what he described as clear failures in security management, governance and budget execution.

 “We act neither under pressure nor threat,” Jean said defiantly. “The decisions of the Presidential Transitional Council fall under our national sovereignty.”

Failures of governance amid a collapsing security landscape

Jean revealed that the CPT’s mandate—restoring security, promoting good governance and preparing for credible elections—has been undermined by the prime minister’s inaction. He pointed to the “war budget” adopted to combat escalating gang violence, noting that funds meant to support security operations were never deployed effectively.

The consequences, he said, are visible everywhere: more than one million internally displaced people, collapsing social services and barely 33% of the investment budget executed by the end of August.

For a country already on the brink, he lamented, that figure is “indecent.”

Jean accused the government of inexplicable budget cuts to the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces and more than one billion gourdes from the Ministry of Social Affairs—reductions he said directly worsened the humanitarian crisis. Without adequate support, displaced families have been left in precarious, unregulated camps across the capital and beyond.

He warned that continued inaction could jeopardize preparations for the 2026 elections.

“The country needs a more proactive and responsible government,” Jean said, insisting the prime minister is “the operational arm of the executive,” not an autonomous actor.

Diplomatic warnings, internal fractures and political infighting amid national collapse

In one of the most striking claims of the briefing, Jean shared what he described as messages attributed to the Canadian ambassador, André François Giroux, and Henry T. Wooster, the U.S. chargé d’affaires, containing explicit warnings against dismissing the prime minister. One reportedly stated: “This would not be the right time to test the determination of the United States.”

Jean questioned the authenticity of the exchanges, suggesting they could have been hacked, but said the tone reflected the pressure he and other CPT members have faced.

Among the CPT members, only Lesly Voltaire attended the press conference to publicly support Jean.

Jean’s allegations come as Haiti continues to confront a devastating humanitarian emergency, unchecked gang violence, and a near-paralyzed state. For months, internal divisions within the CPT have deepened, with factions clashing over appointments, authority and control of the transition roadmap.

Diplomatic actors have repeatedly urged the body to prioritize consensus, yet the persistent infighting—fueled by personal rivalries, political ambitions, and competing interests—has stalled major reforms. In the absence of unified leadership, armed groups have expanded their territorial control, state institutions have weakened further and ordinary Haitians continue to bear the brunt of the crisis.

The standoff over the prime minister’s future is now the latest flashpoint in a broader pattern of dysfunction that has impeded progress since the CPT was installed. As Jean’s statements reverberate through the political landscape, the Council has yet to issue an official response.

For now, tensions remain high, with questions growing about the extent of foreign influence, the future of the prime minister, and whether the transitional government can hold together long enough to implement even the most basic reforms.

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