US sanctions former Haitian leader
The United States has imposed sanctions on former Haitian president Michel Martelly, citing his "significant and destabilising role" in Haiti's ongoing crisis.
Martelly, who served as president from 2011 to 2016, is accused of leveraging his political influence to facilitate drug trafficking, corruption, and other illicit activities that have exacerbated gang violence and political instability in the country. The 63-year-old former musician is also alleged to have laundered drug money, collaborated with Haitian drug traffickers, and supported several of the gangs operating in Haiti.
The US Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions on Tuesday, freezing all of Martelly’s US-based assets and prohibiting American citizens from engaging in any business dealings with him.
“Many of Haiti’s political and business elites have long been involved in drug trafficking and have been linked to the gangs responsible for the violence that has destabilised Haiti. The United States is committed to promoting accountability and charting a more prosperous, democratic, and secure future for all Haitians.” the department said in a press release.
In 2022, Canada imposed similar sanctions on Martelly and two former prime ministers for financing and profiting from armed gangs.
Martelly is the latest in a string of Haitian officials to be sanctioned by the United States in recent years, following the sanctioning of former Haitian prime minister Laurent Lamothe in 2023 and former Haitian senators Youri Latortue and Joseph Lambert in 2022.
Gang violence has soared to unprecedented levels and dramatically reduced humanitarian assistance in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
As of mid-June, nearly 580,000 people had been displaced by the ongoing gang violence in Haiti which caused the deaths of 1,660 people and wounded at least 845 more between January and April alone.
About half of Haiti’s 11.5 million population are gripped by a hunger crisis, while the insecurity makes it hard for aid organisations to reach them. Kidnapping, rapes, and looting have become part of daily life, while the collapse of institutions makes it impossible to find protection, healthcare, and justice.
For more context on the impact of gang violence in Haiti, read our coverage here: Haiti.
