Former Haitian President Michel Martelly and two former prime ministers are joining a list of Haitian politicians sanctioned by the Canadian government due to their alleged ties to armed gangs and Haiti’s escalating violence.
In addition to Martelly, former Prime Ministers Laurent Lamothe and Jean-Henry Céant have been added. The sanctions were confirmed by Louis Blouin, a Radio-Canada correspondent who is traveling with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The sanctions mean that the three politicians are banned from transactions in Canada, and any assets they have there will be frozen.
The Miami Herald also has confirmed the names with other sources with knowledge of the decision. Trudeau first announced sanctions early Sunday morning during a conference in Tunisia but he did not provide any names.
The three former leaders bring the list to eight individuals including the current and former presidents of the Haitian Senate. Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue were jointly sanctioned by Canada and the United States earlier this month. On Saturday, Canada also announced sanctions for three other current and former lawmakers: Hervé Fourcand, Gary Bodeau and Rony Célestin. The U.S. was not part of Saturday or Sunday’s sanction announcements by Canada.
In its sanction announcements to date, the Canadian government has not provided specific details about the politicians' alleged involvement or activities. Instead, it has said that Canada has “reason to believe that these individuals are using their status as former or current public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption.”
The measures, Ottawa has said, are aimed at stopping the flow of illicit capital and arms into Haiti, as well as to weaken and disable Haiti’s criminal gangs.
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