While the government announced in October that it would send Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers to Haiti if called upon to do so, Prime Minister Philip Davis said on Friday it is not the position of CARICOM to put any boots on the ground in that troubled country at this time.
Haiti featured prominently on the agenda of heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at their recent meeting in Nassau.
The position taken by the regional leaders is to follow the lead of Canada and provide support to the weakened Haitian National Police (HNP).
Addressing a final press conference of the meetings at Baha Mar on Friday, Davis, who is chairman of CARICOM, said, "We, CARICOM, has taken our moral obligation seriously to assist with resolving the issues in Haiti, and the first step will be to see how we can strengthen the HNP, the Haitian National Police, to enable them to restore order and to curb the criminal activities that are being conducted on the island."
Amid rising violence being inflicted by power gangs in Haiti's capital, the HNP has become increasingly weakened and the security situation has worsened amid political and economic crises gripping the country.
Those gangs have become even more powerful and brutal since the assassination of the Haitian president, Jovenel Moïse, in 2021.
Late last month, amid increasing instability, Davis ordered an immediate involuntary departure from Haiti of all diplomatic personnel.
At the CARICOM meetings, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was a special guest, pledged on Thursday to deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels to Haiti.
Trudeau said, "We've provided direct support to bolster the Haitian National Police, so that Haiti has the tools and support to solve this situation, including deploying surveillance aircraft and vital strategic security equipment and vehicles and additional delivery of vehicles in the coming days."
Increasing numbers of Haitian migrants have been apprehended in Bahamian waters as the crisis worsened.
Last month, the United States (US) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the processes for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the US in a safe and orderly manner.
The DHS said qualified beneficiaries who are outside the US and lack US entry documents may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for advance authorization to travel and a period of temporary stay of up to two years for urgent humanitarian reasons.
Asked on Friday by Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles, who covers Haiti and the region, about the challenges faced with strengthening the Haitian police force, given the lure of the bright lights of Miami, Davis said, "Clearly, the pull of the promise of refugee status of 30,000 residents from the islands, from the four countries, Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua, and particularly Haiti, is a draw for anyone who is in Haiti, particularly the circumstances under which Haiti is now experiencing, and it is counterproductive to be encouraging police officers to abandon their station as it were, for the bright lights of Miami.
"This is a matter that was brought to our attention during the course of these discussions and, in fact, we were told at least 600 or more have already left.
"Again, we cannot just allow what is going on to stop us from [acting] and there's still a belief that there are a number of Haitians who are prepared to put themselves or to move to or work towards having a peaceful country to return it to normalcy, and we are encouraged that there are a number of Haitians, once they know they will be properly supported, properly resourced that they will come to the fore to assist."
When Eyewitness News journalist Theo Sealy asked specifically about putting boots on the ground, Davis said, "We engaged on the question of Haiti and the prime minister of Canada was a part of our discussion.
"The path toward bringing peace and stability to Haiti at the moment does not include boots on the ground, but rather building the security mechanism that is in place, that is the Haitian National Police, working and resourcing them as best we can. For example, ensuring that food is provided to them, they are paid on time, and at the same time, expanding the force to be able to ensure that they have the capacity to deal with the issues that are there. So, we are not there yet about boots on the ground. And we also feel that in some of the other initiatives, [that have] been taken by the international partners like sanctions, that will also work because it cuts the funding to the armed gangs and other criminal organizations that [are] wreaking havoc in the country."
Last week, Trudeau announced that Canada has imposed additional sanctions against two Haitian elites who are supporting gangs financially or operationally.
Davis said CARICOM expects to meet again soon to discuss further its approach to the Haitian crisis.
"...We are of the view that we have to create the space in which peace, in the first instance, can be obtained to enable the free movement of people without fear, to enable them to move to the next stage of expressing their will for a new election ... fair, transparent and free election," he said.
A US delegation of nearly 30 members — including Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs — also attended the CARICOM meetings.
Davis was asked about specific discussions with the US officials on the Haiti issue.
He said only, "We also discussed the issue of Haiti and I will say no more about that at this time, but, again, we've been talking about it.
"CARICOM believes it's time for action and not just talk, but I will leave it at that for the moment, but they have committed themselves to support the efforts that we have [made] and at the moment, we are now crafting a plan.
"We will indicate to them what that plan is and we will look to them for support that they have promised and committed to."
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