Trudeau pledges more help for Haiti, stops short of offering military presence on the ground

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new supports for Haiti in the Bahamas today — but he stopped short of signalling support for the kind of international military intervention Haiti’s de facto prime minister is requesting.

Trudeau told a meeting of Caribbean leaders that Canada will provide $12.3 million in new humanitarian assistance and $10 million for the International Office on Migration to support migrants in the region.

He promised to send Royal Canadian Navy vessels “in the coming weeks” to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a presence off the Haitian coast.

Canada is also sanctioning two more Haitians, building on a list of elite Haitians barred from economic dealings in Canada because of alleged ties to the gangs that have taken over Haiti.

Trudeau said he had a “very constructive conversation” with de facto Haitian leader Ariel Henry this morning, who is acting as the country’s prime minister but was not elected to the role.

The prime minister also promised to spend another $44.8 million to respond to the Caribbean’s climate crisis, and $1.8 million to target the illicit drug trade and “strengthen border and maritime security” in the region.