PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Fritz Alphonse Jean, a member of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, denied allegations of supporting criminal gangs after the United States imposed visa restrictions on him.
The U.S. State Department did not name the targeted individual in its announcement on Monday, but Jean confirmed it was him. Speaking to the Associated Press, he said he rejected the accusations outright.
Gangs currently control about 90% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as large portions of the country’s interior. Armed groups routinely extort businesses, terrorize civilians, and fight for territory using military-grade weapons.
Haiti is expected to hold general elections by February 7, when the nine-member transitional presidential council is set to dissolve. However, critics claim that some council members hope to extend their time in office and are seeking a new prime minister who would support that plan.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Jean dismissed those claims and emphasized his commitment to fighting corruption and organized crime.
“Once we started reviewing the possibilities of changing the head of government, members of (the council) started receiving threats of visa cancellation and other sanctions from the U.S. Embassy representative and the Canadian ambassador,” Jean said.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Canadian officials regarding Jean’s allegations.
Jean, an economist and former central bank governor, previously served as president of the transitional presidential council, which was established after the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry last year amid escalating gang violence that left Haiti without a formal leader.
The office of Haiti’s current prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, did not respond to requests for comment.
Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned on social media about growing instability in Haiti, saying there were “calls for open war against the central government.”
“The U.S. and other countries in the region and around the world have a clear message: enough with gang violence and destruction—and political infighting,” Landau wrote on November 19.
“Anyone who obstructs Haiti’s path to political stability must expect consequences from the U.S. and others, including visa revocations,” he added.
At Tuesday’s briefing, Jean shared what he described as messages sent by unidentified individuals, one of which read:
“I understand you are part of a group working to topple the head of government…I urge you in the strongest terms to desist from initiatives to oust the PM and to instead publish the electoral decree, as we have discussed. This is not the time to test U.S. resolve. Thank you.”
Jean accused the prime minister of failing in three key areas — security, governance, and electoral organization — but did not take questions from reporters. Only one other council member, Leslie Voltaire, attended the press event.
Both the prime minister and the transitional presidential council have come under intense pressure to organize national elections before their mandate expires. However, ongoing gang violence has made the February deadline unattainable. Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council has proposed tentative election dates for August and December of next year.
Haiti has not held elections in nearly a decade, and the country has remained without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his residence in July 2021.
According to U.N. data, more than 4,300 people, including gang members, were killed between January and September this year as violence continues to devastate the country.
