Massive demonstrations against President Jovenel Moise have occurred throughout Haiti. Moise has attempted to challenge the presidential term limit. This evokes memories of the Duvalier dynasty which kept the country under authoritarian rule. Since 2019, Moise has faced calls for his resignation. A crumbling economy and rising fuel prices have pushed the Haitian public to extreme discord. The political corruption has gotten worse with little attempts by the administration to stop it. Moise has been in office since 2017 and it appears as if he has no intention to leave office. The constitution states that term limits are five years. Moise has not acknowledged this and has arrested Supreme Court judges to prevent any legal challenge to his take over. Jovenel Moise claims these judges were part of a coup plot. This is designed to end the independence of the Supreme Court so that term limits will not be enforced for the presidency. The protest movement has been active since 2018, but may be too disorganized to force his removal. The reason Jovenel Moise survives is that he has the support of the United States. There has been no change in policy in regards to Haiti, even with a change in presidential administrations in America. Haiti may not even have elections this year. Coups and protests are not new to Haiti. What is different about the current conditions is that Haitians are developing a new political consciousness. If there is a return to an authoritarian regime, the public will not remain silent.
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