Michel Martelly, the former president, was recently sanctioned for trafficking cocaine into the United States. He and two former prime ministers received sanctions from Canada in 2022.
The former president of Haiti, Michel Martelly, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for smuggling drugs, especially cocaine, into the country.
The Canadian government, which accused Martelly and two former prime ministers of benefiting from armed gangs and imposed sanctions against them in 2022, is echoed in the penalties announced by Washington on Tuesday.
Martelly, a former professional singer who entered politics and presided over the Caribbean country from 2011 to 2016, “abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, destined for the United States,” according to a statement released by the US Treasury.
The statement went on to say that he was also involved in “laundering of illicit drug proceeds,” cooperating with regional drug dealers and supporting several gangs in Haiti. It also claimed that human rights violations and gang activity in the nation had produced “a permissive environment for drug trafficking activities.”
Gang warfare
The poorest nation in the Americas, Haiti, has long been plagued by gang violence, but things took a severe turn for the worst in February when armed gangs pushed outgoing prime minister Ariel Henry.
Approximately 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, is under the grip of criminal groups. Locals report having received threats of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom.
Kenya has sent hundreds of police personnel to Haiti as part of an international effort to stabilize the nation riven by social, political, and economic unrest.
Bradley Smith, the acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury, said, “Today’s action against Martelly emphasizes the significant and destabilizing role he and other corrupt political elites have played in perpetuating the ongoing crisis in Haiti.”
Vedant Patel, a deputy spokeswoman for the US State Department, stated in a statement that “it is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haiti’s future.”
Tuesday’s action, he continued, shows the US’s “unwavering resolve to promote accountability for all individuals whose activities contribute to gang violence and destabilize the political environment in Haiti, regardless of their rank or stature.”
