Resignation of US Special Envoy for Haiti Over Deportations 'Mischaracterised', State Dept. Suggests

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Special Envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote, who resigned on Wednesday, mischaracterised the circumstances of his resignation and failed to take advantage of a chance to raise concerns about migration during his tenure, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

"This is a challenging moment that requires leadership. It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterised the circumstances of his resignation. He failed to take advantage of ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure and chose to resign instead," Price said.

There have been multiple discussions on Haiti in which all proposals, including those provided by Foote, were fully considered "in a rigorous and transparent policy process," Price also said.

"Some of those proposals were determined to be harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti and were rejected during the policy process. For him to say his proposals were ignored is simply false", he added.

Earlier on Thursday, the State Department confirmed that Foote submitted his resignation to Secretary of State Antony Blinken the previous day.

Foote's resignation letter said his move was in protest of the deportation of thousands of Haitians apprehended at the US border with Mexico and he would not be associated with such inhumane and counterproductive decision. Foote also said US policy toward Haiti remains "deeply flawed" and his recommendations to improve it have been ignored or dismissed.