Haiti elections are currently non-existent, leaving a power vacuum that empowers criminal groups. We examine the current state of the country’s governance crisis.

Steven Dudley sits down with investigator Alex Papadovasilakis to analyze the dire political and security landscape in Port-au-Prince. With the absence of elected leadership, the state has struggled to maintain authority, allowing gang control to expand significantly across the nation. We break down how the erosion of democratic institutions has facilitated this shift and what it means for regional stability.

Our discussion clarifies why the current security situation remains so volatile without a clear path to democratic transition. Understanding the nexus between political failure and organized crime is essential for grasping the current reality on the ground in Haiti.

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Steven Dudley is the co-founder and co-director of InSight Crime and a senior research fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies in Washington, DC. In 2020, Dudley...