Haitians who fired their prime minister are “completely stupid”, says Macron

Photo: Mauro Pimentel Agence France-Presse On the sidelines of the G20, Emmanuel Macron responded, according to his entourage, to a Haitian who challenged him “insistently” by accusing him and France “of being responsible for the situation in Haiti.”

Agence France-Presse in Valparaíso, Chile

Published at 10:32 Updated at 1:07 p.m.

• Americas

French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Haitian officials who fired Garry Conille, who was appointed prime minister five months ago in an attempt to stabilize his country, of being “completely stupid,” according to a video filmed Wednesday in Rio that is circulating on social media.

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In this video filmed on the sidelines of the G20 before his departure for Chile, outside the presence of the press, the head of state responds, according to his entourage, to a Haitian who challenged him “insistently” by accusing him and France “of being responsible for the situation in Haiti.”

“There frankly, it is the Haitians who killed Haiti, by allowing drug trafficking,” Emmanuel Macron replies. “And there, what they did, the prime minister was great, I defended him, they fired him!” he added in reference to the dismissal of Garry Conille by the Haitian presidential transitional council.

“It’s terrible. It’s terrible. And I can’t replace him.” They are complete idiots, they should never have released it, the Prime Minister was great,” he continues before the video cuts off.

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Emmanuel Macron then mentioned the Haitian crisis Thursday during a speech on relations with Latin America to the Chilean Congress in the city of Valparaiso.

“France will continue to support the Haitian people and back all initiatives aimed at restoring security and rebuilding a path to a stable political situation. “Haitians deserve it,” he said.

The Caribbean country is in chaos, gripped by political, security, socio-economic and humanitarian crises fueled by gang violence that controls 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.

The decision to remove Garry Conille from office came on November 10, as the Transitional Council sought to replace officials in the Ministries of Justice, Finance, Defense and Health, against his advice.

For Mr. Conille, “the resolution of the Presidential Transitional Council […] is clearly tainted with illegality.”