2025News

Smith Agustin is optimistic the Haitian diaspora will be able to vote in the next Haitian elections

Smith Augustin / Haiti Libre

Smith Augustin of the Haiti Presidential Transition Council, was in Miami, Florida to participate in the 16th Annual Leadership Summit of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON) from 24 to 26 January 2025, under the theme Hope to Action: Amplifying Haitian American Voices. Augustin is a former Haitian ambassador to the Dominican Republic.

This summit explored strategies to strengthen the participation of the diaspora in the major political and economic decisions of the country. For the Haitian diaspora to vote and have an active participation in Haitian affairs, the Haitian Constitution would need to be changed.

During his intervention Smith Augustin spoke on the key role of the Haitian-American diaspora in governance, economic development and civic engagement in favor of Haiti.

Advisor Augustin also reassured the diaspora of their right to vote in the upcoming referendum and elections, [probably provided for in the new Constitution], encouraging them to obtain their National Identification Card to actively participate in the democratic process, as reported in Ici Haiti and Haiti Libre.

Advisor Smith Augustin spoke at the organization’s Past Presidents’ Luncheon on Saturday, on the theme of “The Role of the Haitian-American Diaspora in Governance, Economic Development, and Civic Engagement in Haiti,” as reported in Ici Haiti.

Haiti Libre reported that his intervention was warmly received by the participants, and several Haitian-American leaders welcomed his commitment to strengthened cooperation.

Wikipedia estimates 3.5 million Haitians live abroad, primarily in the Dominican Republic, the United States and Canada. While most of the Haitians living in the Dominican Republic are undocumented, with hundreds of thousands without any legal identity papers whatsoever, those living in Canada and the US have their passports.

Wikipedia reports that 1,1 million Haitians live in the United States, 800,000 in the Dominican Republic, 300,000 Haitians live in Cuba; 188,131 in Chile; 181,404 in Brazil, 179,000 in Canada, 110,000 in Mexico and 80,000 in the Bahamas.

Read more:
Ici Haiti
Ici Haiti
Haiti Libre
Voice of America

4 February 2025