Haiti’s new Prime Minister, Garry Conille, was admitted to a hospital in Port-au-Prince on Saturday night, the Associated Press reported.
Conil was hospitalized a few days after returning home. according to The reason for his hospitalization was not immediately clear, he told The Associated Press, but was reportedly feeling a bit unwell after a gruelling week of activity but was now stable.
The media confirmed that Louis-Gérard Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council that appointed Conil as prime minister, had visited the hospital but could not provide details about Conil’s health. Citing an unnamed ally of Conil, the media outlet reported that the prime minister, who suffers from asthma and occasionally uses an inhaler, had difficulty breathing and requested emergency medical care.
Haiti’s new prime minister taken to hospital, officials say https://t.co/5tAtPA5i1V
— Associated Press (@AP) June 9, 2024
According to the Associated Press, several senior officials, including Haiti’s National Police Chief Franz Herbe and UNICEF Haiti Representative Bruno Maas, visited the hospital. Prior to his hospitalization, Conille was reported to have had connections with key sectors in Haiti, including the security forces, business executives and telecommunications companies. He served as Haiti’s prime minister from 2011 to 2012 and will serve as UNICEF’s regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean from January 2023, according to the AP. (Related article: U.S. Embassy in Haiti to be closed after shootings and violence)
Conille, who takes office on May 28, 2024, faces tough challenges amid Haiti’s turmoil. He aims to address rampant gang violence and prepare for the arrival of a UN-backed Kenyan police force, which has been delayed by political instability, according to the Associated Press. His leadership follows the abrupt end to Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s term in April 2024, when a major security breach by gangs occurred during an official visit to Kenya. Violence in the region led to airport closures and forced him to send a recorded video of his resignation from Puerto Rico, according to the Associated Press. reportHenry signed his resignation in Los Angeles.
“We served our country in difficult times,” he wrote, according to the media. “I sympathize with the losses and suffering suffered by our compatriots during this time.”
