Worsening breakdowns of the Haitian electoral system over the past decade have led to a series of expired mandates and constitutional impasses, leaving citizens without proper political representation. The government’s ability to function was further damaged by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the 2024 resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry following a wave of violence by armed criminal groups. A transitional presidential council was installed later in 2024 with international support, and it named a prime minister, but the judiciary and law enforcement agencies continue to lack the resources, independence, and integrity to uphold the rule of law.

• In December, the country’s Provisional Electoral Council released a schedule for long-overdue national elections, with a first round to be held in August 2026, but tangible steps to prepare for such elections remained limited. It was also unclear how governance would be maintained after the end of the nine-seat transitional presidential council’s original mandate in February 2026.
• In September, the UN Security Council voted to replace the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support police mission—active in Haiti since mid-2024—with a larger Gang Suppression Force, which would have more expansive authority to combat and arrest members of armed criminal groups. Separately, the Haitian government reportedly hired private military contractors to assist with security efforts.
• Amid broader allegations of official corruption, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and at least one member of the transitional presidential council were accused during the year of colluding with criminal groups or interfering with law enforcement operations against them.
• Security forces reportedly used gunfire and tear gas to disperse protesters, and engaged in extrajudicial killings. According to UN sources, police killed more than 3,200 people over the course of the year, and at least 18 percent of them were not affiliated with armed groups. More than 8,000 people were killed in the year’s violence overall, and more than 1.4 million Haitians were internally displaced as of December.
• Journalists and media outlets continued to face suspensions and threats from authorities, as well as physical violence, abductions, arson, and other interference by criminal groups throughout the year. The heavily armed groups increasingly targeted churches and other civilian gathering places for looting and kidnappings for ransom, and subjected women and children to sexual violence and forced recruitment. A series of mass killings and forced displacements prompted international condemnation; in one incident in September, a coalition of gangs killed more than 40 people in a fishing village.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2026 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see the reports from the 2024 and 2025 editions of Freedom in the World.