Guyler Delva will stay on as Minister of Communication and Culture in Haiti, despite earlier on Tuesday announcing that he would be stepping down.
Delva, a former journalist who was named in Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant’s Cabinet in April, had announced his pending resignation on Twitter.
“The president has an extraordinary vision for this country and it is a great pleasure for me to have had the opportunity to work with him,” he posted. “However, I regret to announce that I will be resigning.”
That decision did not stand for long, as Delva tweeted shortly after, saying that President Jovenel Moise had refused to accept his resignation.
Delva’s announcement that he was stepping down came amid violent protests in Haiti and calls for Prime Minister Lafontant to resign over fuel price hikes, although it was subsequently announced that the price increases would be suspended.
Gasoline prices were to rise by 38 per cent, diesel by 47 per cent and kerosene by 51 per cent, as part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to increase government revenue.
But Lafontant said the government was instituting a “temporary stop” to the fuel hike, as he appealed for calm.
At least four people were killed in the protests.
