Guy Philippe, who assisted in leading a coup in Haiti in 2004 and went back to the country last year after serving a prison sentence in the US, urged Haiti's prime minister to resign on Friday, announcing that he wishes to become president. 

In a Zoom interview with Reuters, Philippe stated "He should resign," adding "I think he should stay where he is now ... and let Haitians decide their fate."

Philippe who was deported from the US to Haiti in November after serving six years of a prison sentence for money laundering as a product of drug trafficking, believes that his conviction will not interrupt his future in politics, recalling others like the former South African leader Nelson Mandela, former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"Yes! I'm going into politics. I was a senator, I've been elected by my people, and I will go again in elections," he answered when asked if he wished to become president.

"Mandela was in prison, Hugo Chavez was in prison, Lula was in prison ... and so if my people believe and trust me, I will be their leader," Philippe stated, who since his return to his country has been gathering support and urging the government to step down.

On Philippe and the gangs

Philippe stated that his recent comeback to Haiti shows that he does not have any deep ties to the gangs and that he is not behind their violence, emphasizing that the reason why some of them support him is only because they like his speech. 

"They like my speech, and some want to follow me," he said.

Though he did not condemn the gangs, stating that he would try to issue an amnesty for their leaders if he were to take such a position, Philippe added "Who is worse? The ones in the streets with the weapons or the ones in the office that call themselves prime ministers, president, ministers ... that are stealing everything this country has?" 

Philippe, who stated that his protection was from individual agents who supported his message and wanted to shield him, has been noticed in recent months at public events backed by members of BSAP,  which is an environmental police unit that security analysts believe has effectively turned into a paramilitary group.

Seeking relations with US, France, Canada

As he criticized the international backing that he believes is behind Henry's remain in power, he stressed that he would try to put his country's relationship with powers like the US, France, and Canada on a more equal grip.

"If Haiti is where it is now, it's partly because of them," he stated, then adding, "We are not enemies, we don't hate the United States, we don't hate France or Canada... We know we need their help, we know Haiti is a poor country, but at least we would like to receive this help with dignity."

"No... I know the Americans who are deciding everything here will be wise enough to understand that Haitians want some kind of change," Philippe replied when asked about potential civil war in Haiti as a gang member has warned this week. 

In a February report, the Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime labeled Philippe as an important figure among Haiti's "strongmen who straddle the line between vigilante leaders and political bosses, accumulating considerable power."

Haitian gang leader warns of 'genocide' if Henry remains in power

A prominent leader of a Haitian gang issued a stark warning on March 5, asserting that the escalating turmoil in the capital, Port-au-Prince, could lead to civil war and "genocide" unless Prime Minister Ariel Henry steps down.

Jimmy Cherizier, also known as "Barbecue", delivered these remarks as Prime Minister Henry faced difficulties returning home, and as the country's main airport came under attack by mobs following a refusal of landing permission from the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Gunfire disrupted flights at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. Reports indicate that Henry was denied entry into the Dominican Republic, but his plane briefly landed in nearby Puerto Rico, according to a spokesperson for the governor's office.

Henry, who was expected to step down last month, found himself confronted by armed criminal gangs orchestrating a coordinated assault to remove him while he was out of the country.

Henry has been in power since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, when he agreed to a power-sharing deal with the opposition, delaying his resignation until new elections could be organized. Recently, Henry traveled to Kenya to further his attempts for the deployment of a United Nations Police Force in Haiti.