Secretary of State Antony Blinken took to Twitter late Tuesday to announce that the U.S. welcomed the effort in Haitian to name a new interim prime minister and unity cabinet two weeks after the brazen assassination of the country’s president at his home in Port-au-Prince.
“We welcome efforts by Haiti’s political leadership to come together in choosing an interim Prime Minister and a unity cabinet,” the tweet read. “We urge Haitian political and civil society actors to continue to work together to chart a united path forward in the interest of the Haitian people.”
Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon, had been designated prime minister by President Jovenal Moïse–who was ruling by decree– just days before the assassination. The turmoil in the country that followed and the unclear leadership raised concerns that the conditions on the island would continue to worsen.
Claude Joseph, who had the backing of the military, claimed that he was in control of the government. He also seemed to benefit after being acknowledged by the U.S. as the rightful prime minister.
Earlier this month, Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, identified Joseph as the incumbent and said the U.S. would continue to work with him “as such,” the New York Times reported. He also said at the time that the U.S. had been in touch with Henry.
The BBC reported that Joseph returned position as foreign minister. When he stepped down from the post, he hinted at an election in September.
Henry told the country that he would work to restore “order and security.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
