DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Come 7 October 2024, former Haitian ambassador to the Dominican Republic Smith Augustin will be sworn in as the leader of Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council. He takes over from Edgar LeBlanc whose speech at the UN General Assembly Debate became viral not for his call for solidarity and historic restitution, but for drinking water from a pitcher.

Augustin will lead from 7 October 2024 to 7 March 2025. Augustin is a sociologist and is the representative of the political groups RED/EDE and Compromis Historique. The EDE-RED/Compromis Historique is a political coalition reportedly led by former Haitian prime minister Claude Joseph, who is known to be vehemently anti-Dominican Republic.

Yet, readings of Augustin’s past statements to the press, and his actions when serving as ambassador in the Dominican Republic, give hope he could instead be a breath for change in the Haitian...