Haiti's transitional council president Leslie Voltaire said in an interview on Wednesday that a date for the Caribbean nation's long-awaited general elections has been fixed for around Nov. 15 of this year.

Since Monday, a coalition of armed gangs in Haiti have waged war on mountaintop communities above Port-au-Prince, the capital. Local officials say gangs set fire to homes and killed farmers and livestock.

Leslie Voltaire acknowledged that the election plan amid Haiti’s ongoing gang violence and worsening humanitarian situation is ambitious.

Haiti's transitional council president Leslie Voltaire announced that general elections are set for November 15, amidst a dire security crisis with armed gangs controlling the capital. The elections aim to establish legitimate governance by February 2026.

Gang violence, hunger, and political instability threaten Haiti's survival as a state as the UN calls for urgent international security and peacekeeping interventions.

The first of two journalists recently killed by gangs while covering the failed reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital has been buried.

The latest attacks occurred a day after gangs shot up an armored vehicle belonging to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti.

The Haitian people must have the security and freedom to engage in daily activities without fear – whether it’s going to work, school, or a house of worship,” said Ambassador Shea.

Haiti’s gangs caused thousands of deaths and the displacement of over a million people in the past year, according to the UN, highlighting the extreme humanitarian consequences of their increasing control over the country.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro is visiting Haiti as part of a whirlwind trip to strengthen ties with the violence-wracked country

Corruption and money laundering continue to undermine prospects for stability in Haiti, while enabling trafficking and organized crime.”

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. A woman lies on the ground wailing during the funeral service of journalist Marckendy Natoux, who was killed ...