LHDDH Denounces Arbitrary Banking System in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— The Haitian League for Human Rights Defense (LHDDH) is once again sounding the alarm about the excesses of the Haitian banking system. In a preliminary report released on December 28, 2025, the human rights organization denounces practices deemed arbitrary by several commercial banks, as well as a concerning deterioration of customer services, which it describes as a direct attack on citizens' economic rights and dignity. Fourteen years after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, the LHDDH observes that measures announced at the time as provisional have become permanently established, without structural reform or rigorous state oversight. The result is an unequal, challenging, and sometimes dangerous access to banking services, in a national context already marked by insecurity and institutional fragility. Open-air queues: indignity as the norm Before 2010, customers were mostly welcomed inside bank branches. Today, long queues outside banks have become the norm. Exposed to the sun, bad weather, and insecurity, thousands of users wait for hours, sometimes an entire day, to perform basic transactions. According to the LHDDH, the trickle-entry into branches imposes a double penalty: an interminable wait outside, followed by another queue inside. This organization, described as humiliating, also increases the risks of assaults and robberies when leaving banks. In several cases, only the sporadic presence of the Haitian National Police (PNH) helps prevent tragedies. Dollars deposited, dollars confiscated The report also highlights controversial practices concerning US dollar accounts. While currency deposits are made without restriction, withdrawals are strictly capped, sometimes at 100 dollars, regardless of the client's balance. Some banks even impose fractional withdrawals via teller windows, increasing trips and constraints. For the LHDDH, these restrictions constitute a clear violation of depositors' rights. They are all the more problematic as the Haitian economy remains highly dollarized, particularly for major transactions such as real estate or vehicle purchases, in the absence of a credible public policy aimed at strengthening the effective use of the gourde. BRH Circular 114-1 severely criticized Adopted in 2020, Circular 114-1 of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) was intended to regulate the foreign exchange market and channel currency transfers into the formal circuit. In practice, the LHDDH believes this measure has primarily restricted access to foreign currency, exacerbated tensions with transfer houses, and penalized dollar account holders. The organization believes that this circular primarily serves the financial interests of the State, to the detriment of citizens' economic and financial rights, and demands its outright withdrawal. Crowds, tensions, and violence: an explosive climate During periods of high traffic, especially at year-end, the situation becomes critical. Sidewalks and public roads are overrun by crowds without adequate supervision. Incidents are regularly reported: jostling, verbal, and even physical violence, sometimes attributed to security agents. For the LHDDH, these scenes reflect the absence of adapted measures and a concerning disregard for the elementary principles of respect for human dignity. Recommendations that went unheeded Faced with this alarming observation, the LHDDH calls for an urgent response. It urges the Professional Association of Banks (APB) to engage in serious dialogue with the institutions concerned, to improve customer reception, to reinforce staff at teller windows, and to guarantee the safety of users both inside and around banking establishments. The organization also insists on the protection of client identity and data. The LHDDH reiterates that access to banking services constitutes a fundamental economic right. Commercial banks, as public interest actors, bear a social and moral responsibility towards the population. Without deep and immediate reforms, the organization warns, popular distrust will continue to worsen, with lasting consequences for social cohesion and the respect for human rights in Haiti. Jean Mapou / Le Relief