Haiti summons French envoy over Macron's remarks

BOGOTA, Colombia

Haiti’s foreign minister summoned the French ambassador Thursday to address “unacceptable remarks” by President Emmanuel Macron at the G20 summit this week in Brazil, in which he accused the Caribbean country’s transitional council of being “total morons” for firing its prime minister.

"Honestly, it is Haitians who killed Haiti by letting in drug trafficking," Macron was caught on video saying.

"They are completely dumb. They should never have fired him," he added, referring to the dismissal of former Prime Minister Garry Conille by Haiti's transitional presidential council just days ago.

Conille, who was appointed by the council to the position in May, worked for several years at the United Nations before returning to the country to pave the way for presidential elections next year and to restore stability.

After learning he was dismissed following a power struggle with the council over control of the government, he said the measure to oust him was unconstitutional.

Conille was replaced on Nov. 11 by businessman Alix Didier Fils Aimé.

"They are complete idiots. They should never have taken him out. The prime minister was wonderful," Macron said.

The controversial remarks drew protests from Haitian authorities on Thursday.

Haiti's Foreign Ministry said that French Ambassador Antoine Michon had been summoned following the remarks, which the ministry branded as “unfriendly and inappropriate.”

Macron pledged Thursday that “France will never look away in the face of a crisis,” adding "there will never be a double standard in the face of tragedy, whether in Haiti, Venezuela or on the doorstep of Europe.”

Haiti's Foreign Ministry said that at the meeting, Michon pledged that France would stand by Haiti to help restore security and carry out elections.

France has pledged to contribute €4 million ($4.18 million) to the UN fund that finances the security mission destined to restore security in Haiti.