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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2025
Contact: Rev. Rudy Laurent
Email: planhaiti.rudy@gmail.com
Rev. Rudy Laurent to Trump Administration: Reassess U.S. Endorsement of Haiti’s Transitional Council
Kissimmee, FL – Rev. Rudy Laurent, Haitian-American faith leader and finalist for the position of Prime Minister of Haiti, issued a respectful but urgent call to the Trump administration to revisit its stance on Haiti’s current transitional process—one widely perceived by Haitian civil society as a continuation of past missteps rather than a break from them.
In response to a recent statement by U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reaffirming U.S. support for Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), Rev. Laurent voiced deep concern over the optics and implications of that position.
“It is with disappointment—but also with hope—that I appeal to the Trump administration to reassess what appears to be a tacit endorsement of a model that, by all accounts, defies common sense and democratic integrity,” said Rev. Laurent. “No serious observer—least of all President Trump himself—would believe that a government run by nine separate heads of state can offer stability to a suffering nation.”
Rev. Laurent noted that despite stated intentions to “do things differently,” the current administration’s alignment with the CARICOM-led mediation mirrors the very frameworks established under previous U.S. foreign policy playbooks—those that failed Haiti in the past and continue to do so today.
“International observers hoped for a fresh approach,” he stated. “Instead, what we are witnessing is a continuation of the same choreography—this time with even more confusion, inflated expenses, and no clear path to elections. The Haitian people are not deceived.”
He added that recent lobbying contracts between the transitional Haitian government and former U.S. officials only deepen concerns about undue influence and policy manipulation. “When the suffering of a nation becomes a business opportunity, and propaganda replaces principles, it is the people who pay the ultimate price.”
While reaffirming the Haitian people’s desire to maintain a respectful and strategic relationship with the United States, Rev. Laurent emphasized that foreign-led governance models—however well-intentioned—are no substitute for sovereignty and legitimacy.
“Haiti does not ask for occupation. We ask for respect,” he concluded. “We urge President Trump and his advisors to stand on the side of logic, order, and Haitian self-determination. Let us restore dignity to the process and build a partnership based not on bureaucracy, but on bold, common-sense leadership.”
