What happened
A nine-member transitional council was sworn in to govern Haiti on Thursday following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The council includes representatives of political parties, civil society and the private sector. Henry, blocked from returning to Haiti by armed gangs that control much of the country, signed his resignation letter in Los Angeles on Wednesday. His outgoing Cabinet appointed Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert as interim prime minister.
Who said what
"We have served the nation in difficult times," Henry said in his resignation letter. Haiti's "multidimensional political crisis" has "lasted too long," Boisvert said. Today "opens the prospect of a solution."
The commentary
Haiti's gangs, which continue "looting houses, kidnapping civilians, raping women and killing people at random," say they intend to "disrupt the current political process," The New York Times said. But the council's seating should "clear the way for the arrival of a multinational police force led by Kenya."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
The transitional council's nonrenewable mandate expires Feb. 7, 2026, by which point a new president must be elected and sworn in.
-
The controversial Free Birth SocietyThe Explainer Influencers are encouraging pregnant women to give birth without midwife care – at potentially tragic cost
-
Wes Anderson: The Archives – ‘quirkfest’ celebrates the director’s ‘impeccable craft’The Week Recommends Retrospective at the Design Museum showcases 700 props, costumes and set designs from the filmmaker’s three-decade career
-
Is conscription the answer to Europe’s security woes?Today's Big Question How best to boost troop numbers to deal with Russian threat is ‘prompting fierce and soul-searching debates’
-
Trump’s Ukraine peace talks advance amid leaked callSpeed Read Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia next week
-
Memo signals Trump review of 233k refugeesSpeed Read The memo also ordered all green card applications for the refugees to be halted
-
Pentagon targets Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ videoSpeed Read The Pentagon threatened to recall Kelly to active duty
-
Judge tosses Trump DOJ cases against Comey, JamesSpeed Read Both cases could potentially be brought again
-
US, Kyiv report progress on shifting Ukraine peace planSpeed Read The deal ‘must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty,’ the countries said
-
US government shutdown: why the Democrats ‘caved’In the Spotlight The recent stalemate in Congress could soon be ‘overshadowed by more enduring public perceptions’
-
‘The issue isn’t talent but moral guidance’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Comey grand jury never saw final indictmentSpeed Read This ‘drove home just how slapdash’ the case is, said The New York Times
