Photo: Michel Martelly
The US has imposed sanctions on former Haitian President Michel Martelly, alleging his involvement in international drug trafficking and his role in exacerbating the current crisis in Haiti.
This is stated in a statement by the US Treasury Department, distributed on Tuesday, August 20, the Voice of America reports.
Martelly, who ruled Haiti from 2011 to 2016, is accused of using his political influence to facilitate the smuggling of drugs, including cocaine, into the US. He is also alleged to have laundered money and sponsored Haitian gangs.
“Today's decision regarding Martelly underscores the significant and destabilizing role that he and other members of corrupt elites are playing in the current crisis in Haiti,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith.
Haiti's rampant gang violence and human rights abuses have created a fertile ground for drug traffickers, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. The country has become a key transit point for drugs bound for the United States.
“Drug trafficking and gang-related violence contribute to political instability and insecurity in Haiti, creating intolerable living conditions for the Haitian people,” State Department spokesman Vidant Patel said in commenting on the decision to impose sanctions on Martelly.
The sanctions prohibit U.S. financial institutions from providing loans or credit to Martelly and also prohibit foreign exchange transactions under U.S. jurisdiction in which he has an interest. In addition, US individuals and entities are prohibited from investing in or purchasing Martelly's equity and debt instruments.
Canada imposed sanctions against the ex-President of Haiti in 2022.
In July, Washington announced the separation $60 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The funds will be used to support local residents affected by gang activity and the ongoing crisis.
After the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the power of armed gangs has sharply increased in the country. As the Associated Press reported last month, gangs control up to 80% of the capital and surrounding areas. As a result of the violence, more than half a million people were forced to leave their homes, and 4 million faced food problems.
Prepared by: Sergei Daga