The US sanctioned former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe on Friday for alleged involvement in “significant corruption.”
“This action renders Lamothe generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said. “Specifically, Lamothe misappropriated at least US$60 million from Haiti’s PetroCaribe infrastructure investment and social welfare fund for personal gain.”
“Through this corrupt act and his direct involvement in the management of the fund, he exploited his role as a public official and contributed to the current instability in Haiti,” Blinken added, adding that the Biden administration remains committed to supporting “the citizens, organizations, and public servants of Haiti who are committed to generating hope and opportunity for a better future in their nation.”
“The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain,” he added.
“Today’s designation is part of a series of actions that promote accountability for those who foment violence, obstruct life-saving humanitarian assistance, and enrich themselves at the expense of the Haitian people,” said Blinken.
On April 5, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Gary Bodeau, former President of the Haitian Chamber of Deputies, for his widespread involvement in corruption in Haiti, in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13818.
According to the US Treasury Department, E.O. 13818 “builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.”
“Corrupt officials like Bodeau have created an environment that empowers illegal armed gangs and their supporters to inflict violence on the Haitian people,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
“We are committed, along with our partners, including Canada, to holding accountable those undermining the integrity of Haiti’s government and destabilizing the country.”
The action came after OFAC sanctioned two Haitian lawmakers, Rony Celestin and Richard Fourcand, in December for misusing their power to enhance drug trafficking activities in the region. Canada had also sanctioned Bodeau.
According to E.O. 13818, the Treasury Department sanctioned Bodeau for “being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts, or the extraction of natural resources.”
“Bodeau was involved in several corrupt schemes in which he attempted to influence the outcome of Haitian political appointments, including facilitating and soliciting bribes worth millions of dollars,” according to the agency.
“In 2018, Bodeau paid Haitian officials to secure their votes while seeking ministerial position appointments.”
It further claimed that Bodeau “solicited a large bribery payment from senior government officials worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for his political support.”
On February 16, Blinken designated five Haitians and seven family members as subject to visa limitations under Immigration and Nationality Act section 212(a)(3)(C).
“This policy affects Haitian officials and other individuals involved in the operation of street gangs and criminal organizations that have threatened the livelihoods of the Haitian people and are obstructing life-saving humanitarian assistance,” stated Blinken.
“This action sends a clear message of our continued commitment to rooting out corruption and impacting the behavior of bad actors whose influence underpins the lawlessness in Haiti.”
Under Executive Order 14059, the United States sanctioned four Haitian persons in November and December 2022: Joseph Lambert, Youri LaTortue, Rony Celestin, and Herve Fourcand.