Authorities in Haiti have expanded a state of emergency to the entire nation amid worsening gang violence. On Wednesday, acting Prime Minister Garry Conille said he distributed weapons to the Haitian Army and the National Police in order to retake territory controlled by gangs. The order came a day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s arrival in Haiti. On Thursday, Blinken met with Conille, where he praised the Kenyan-led international security mission in Haiti and urged Haitian officials to prepare for Haiti’s first national election since 2016. Many Haitians have opposed the U.S.-backed mission, as past international interventions have contributed to political destabilization and humanitarian crises in Haiti.

Theodore Huguens: “Blinken is in the country to manage his interests and the interests of the United States, because the weapons with which the gangs operate come from the United States. He’s not going to do anything for us. His visit is a joke.”