Haiti’s Leadership Crisis: Asking Fish to Climb Trees
At the core of Haiti's insecurity, social despair, and political paralysis is a severe leadership void that exacerbates every challenge facing the homeland. With each new appointment or election, we are caught in a familiar cycle: leaders make grand promises but fail to deliver results. This pattern is disheartening, leaving us frustrated and doubtful of the potential for real change. But as the adage goes, “You cannot measure a fish's intelligence by its ability to climb a tree.”
This maxim captures the challenges of governance in Haiti. It emphasizes the disconnect between the leadership the country needs and the unrealistic expectations we place on the political class. To understand this, we must recognize the complex, interconnected issues hindering our leaders' effectiveness. When we elect or nominate those who lack the necessary skills or experience to address the country's challenges, assessing their performance becomes inherently flawed. Haiti's struggles often stem from this mismatch — leaders who are inexperienced or self-serving are expected to tackle immense structural and systemic problems.
Are we genuinely expecting these leaders to accomplish tasks beyond their capabilities? Are we honestly asking them to perform the impossible?
The current crisis in Haiti results from multiple interrelated dysfunctions: the ongoing power vacuum since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, the unchecked rise of gang violence, and a society marked by deep distrust in its institutions. Two Interim Prime Ministers later, no one could secure public confidence or provide practical solutions to the worsening security and economic situation. Our discussions about Haiti continue to involve comparisons to other nations or place unrealistic demands on Haitian officials without offering the tools or frameworks necessary for success. For example, there have been frequent demands for leaders to eradicate gang activity without providing the equipment or funding needed to strengthen the police force. This is akin to expecting a fish to climb a tree — leaders are placed in conditions where failure is inevitable because the system is fundamentally flawed.
The international community has contributed to this misalignment. Over the decades, foreign powers and international organizations have imposed leadership models on Haiti that do not align with its social and historical context. Though sometimes well-intentioned, these interventions have often been ineffective because they fail to recognize that our homeland needs leaders who can represent the people's interests, free from international dictates or the constraints of a broken political system. We do not want any more imposed economic policies that benefit foreign interests more than Haitian citizens, and we certainly object to election processes that do not account for Haiti's social dynamics to foster local leadership.
Consider the sprawling gang crisis, which has increasingly strangled Haiti's socioeconomic and political life. Our leaders have struggled to make meaningful progress without adequate law enforcement, skilled negotiators, or access to necessary tactical equipment. Everyone knows that law enforcement is crucial to re-establishing public safety and order, yet Haiti's police force remains under-resourced, under-trained, and outmatched by well-armed gangs. The consequences of this inadequate law enforcement are felt daily by ordinary Haitians who cannot safely go to work, send their children to school, or access essential services.
Skilled negotiators are equally vital for security ambitions. They serve as mediators capable of diffusing tensions, opening channels of dialogue, and providing non-violent solutions to conflicts that could otherwise escalate into more violence. The absence of such skilled personnel has left few options other than reactive measures that often fail to address the root causes of the conflict. Moreover, security forces are ill-prepared to counter gangs with sophisticated weaponry and entrenched territorial control without the appropriate tactical equipment. Tactical resources, such as protective gear, vehicles, and communication technology, are not just accessories but essential tools for law enforcement to operate effectively. The lack of these resources leaves the police vulnerable and outmatched, making their attempts at maintaining law and order ineffective at best and dangerously risky at worst.
Then, the lack of a strong government further complicates these efforts, stripping Haiti of cohesive leadership that could marshal national resources, streamline strategies, and coordinate international support. Yet, despite these numerous obstacles, our leaders are judged on their ability to restore peace and security — an almost impossible task without international support, a functioning judiciary, or an appropriately equipped and trained police force. Thus, Haiti's leaders are evaluated not based on their skills or competence but on their inability to achieve the impossible in such a chaotic environment.
Expecting Haitian leaders to resolve deep-rooted structural issues while being undermined by systemic corruption, foreign interference, and an unstable economy is as unreasonable as expecting aquatic animals to thrive on land. The current conditions do not allow for success. Instead, our focus should be rebuilding institutions that foster effective leadership — creating environments where leaders can succeed, using systems that leverage their strengths rather than expose their limitations. This means empowering grassroots leaders who understand local needs, providing comprehensive training for government officials, and fostering anti-corruption frameworks that build trust in public institutions.
A new approach is urgently needed. In this time of deep division, we need a new language to heal the nation, a new leadership to unite us, and an inspiring vision to steer Haiti toward a brighter future. This approach must prioritize community-level solutions to create a context where effective leadership can flourish. Supporting grassroots initiatives and empowering local communities can provide an essential foundation for sustainable change that begins from the bottom up rather than relying solely on national leadership.
We must start by shedding the harmful practices of the past that have made our future seem impossible and commit to a new promise to ourselves and the world. This proverb teaches empathy and pragmatism. We must stop asking fish to climb trees and let them swim in waters that nourish their true potential. To realize our collective ambitions, we must select only the most qualified leaders who can effectively drive our initiatives forward. Only then can Haiti hope to rise from its current predicament.