Trudeau leaves for Bahamas to meet Caribbean leaders as Haiti crisis deepens
CTV
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way the Bahamas where members of the Caribbean Community are gathering to discuss regional issues, including the deepening crisis in Haiti.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way the Bahamas where members of the Caribbean Community are gathering to discuss regional issues, including the deepening crisis in Haiti.
Trudeau left Ottawa Wednesday afternoon to participate as a special guest at the summit of 20 Caribbean leaders in Nassau as the group celebrates its 50th anniversary.
His office said the trip will allow leaders to consider political, security and humanitarian assistance to Haitian people and "Haitian-led solutions to the ongoing situation."
The country has been embroiled in crisis since the July 2021 assassination of prime minister Jovenel Moise, with violent gangs jockeying for territory in the capital Port-au-Prince and international watchdogs reporting rampant sexual assault, kidnappings and a worsening health emergency.
Haiti's current unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is expected to participate in the Nassau meetings, has asked for a foreign military intervention. The United States has suggested that Canada lead it.
But the Canadian government has so far kept its powder dry, instead searching for a "consensus" on the ground and levying economic sanctions against elites accused of supporting gang activity.
On Wednesday morning, Trudeau said he was "glad to be invited" to the summit and looked forward to discussing infrastructure, climate change and a "range" of other issues.
