In Mexico City, a man named Guy Philippe ordered Haiti’s Prime Minister to resign so he could become the country’s next president. Philippe helped lead a coup in Haiti in 2004 and was returned to the island last year after serving a long prison sentence in the United States. Haiti has been undergoing months of violence that have pushed the government to the point of collapse. Gangs have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has been out of the country due to safety concerns.

Haiti has been under a state of emergency since Sunday, when a multitude of gangs broke thousands of inmates out from prison. The emergency was extended on Thursday in the capital of Port-au-Prince as the ongoing violence in the area forced thousands to leave their homes behind to find shelter. A 56-year-old former police chief told Reuters News that the Prime Minister should resign: “I think he should stay where he is now … and let Haitians decide their fate.” 

Back in 2004, Philippe was one of the leaders successful at overthrowing former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Philippe then went on to run for presidency in 2006 but failed and continued on to get a Senate seat in 2016, but was arrested and shipped to the United States to be imprisoned before he got sworn in. After serving six years in prison for money laundering from drug trafficking, he returned to Haiti in November, where he has been trying to continue his political career. When asked if he is going to run as President, Philippe vocalized, “Yes! I’m going into politics. I was a senator, I’ve been elected by my people, I will go again in elections. Mandela was in prison, Hugo Chavez was in prison, Lula was in prison … and so if my people believe and trust me, I will be their leader.” Philippe has been going around the country calling for support and to take down the current government. Philippe has since gained support from various gangs and stressed that Haiti needed some sort of change and international aid from large, wealthy countries. 

Corruption and violence have been a cycle in Haiti and bringing in an ex-coup leader is not going to solve Haiti’s issues; a new approach is needed. The United States and other international players must work together to put pressure on Prime Minister Henry to change the country around as well as installing a workable and unified government.