Overview:
On the eve of a listening to on the Haitian Courtroom of Attraction relating to Decide Walter Wesser Voltaire’s ordinance accusing 17 Colombian mercenaries of being a part of the brutal demise squad that killed Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, the late president’s son, Joverlein Moïse, expresses his anger. The slain president’s eldest son denounces the listening to scheduled forward of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s go to to Haiti as a plan to launch the defendants earlier than a radical investigation and a full trial.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Stories of a attainable launch of 17 Colombians accused of assassinating Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have outraged his son, Joverlein Moïse, who known as it an affront to Haiti’s sovereignty. The event comes because the Haitian Courtroom of Appeals prepares to listen to arguments on Monday, Jan. 20, relating to the indictment issued in opposition to the Colombians by Decide Walter Wesser Voltaire.
“The Colombians ought to stay in jail till the trial is over,” the slain president’s son wrote on X on Sunday, denouncing the listening to as a plan to launch the mercenaries forward of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s go to to Haiti on Jan. 22.
“Every other determination is an insult to each single Haitian and to our sovereignty as a folks,” he added. He confused that releasing the accused Colombians—who entered Haiti to overthrow a constitutionally elected president, stormed his non-public residence, and killed him—is unacceptable.
Ou antre ak zam nan males w sou yon teritwa etranje, ou vin patisipe nan koudeta yon prezidan kostitisyonèlman eli, ou antre ak zam nan rezidans prive prezidan an, ou touye l, ou nan prizon jiskaske ankèt fini… epi kounya w ap pale de libète? Ki libète? – KOLONBYEN yo ap ret nan…
— Joverlein Moïse (@joverleinmo) January 19, 2025
The Colombians, arrested in July 2021 following Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, are accused of being a part of a closely armed commando unit that stormed the late president’s non-public residence in Pèlerin 5, Port-au-Prince, killing him in chilly blood. Moïse was discovered useless with 12 gunshot wounds. His spouse, Martine Moïse, was injured within the assault and later transported to america for therapy.
Joverlein Moïse reiterates the household’s demand for justice for his father
Feedback from the son of the Haitian president assassinated on July 7, 2021, replicate his frustration over the slow-moving judicial course of, which has left many unanswered questions in regards to the brutal homicide. He denounced the concept of releasing the Colombians earlier than a full trial could possibly be carried out, reiterating that justice should be served in his father’s assassination case.
Joverlein Moïse additionally accused the Colombians’ protection lawyer, Natalie Dérisca, of spreading false narratives. Dérisca, who has known as for the discharge of her purchasers, filed an attraction contesting Decide Voltaire’s indictment. She argued that her purchasers are being held unlawfully and haven’t been given due course of.
The scheduled listening to on the Courtroom of Attraction final week was postponed as a result of workload and the excessive variety of legal professionals and defendants concerned within the case. Dérisca confirmed to The Haitian Occasions that the brand new listening to date has been set for Monday, Jan. 20.
“We’re awaiting the court docket’s ruling,” Dérisca mentioned. “We have been hoping for the discharge of our purchasers,” she added, expressing her dissatisfaction with the choose’s order to reschedule the anticipated listening to final week.
“The Colombians ought to stay in jail till the trial is over.”
Joverlein Moïse, Son of the late President Jovenel Moïse
In its manhunt, the police have arrested 17 Colombians, together with a number of Haitian cops, together with Dimitri Hérard, the pinnacle of the Normal Safety Unit of the Nationwide Palace (USGPN), who escaped from jail in the course of the large evasion orchestrated by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition in March 2024. Jean Laguel Civil, the pinnacle of the Presidential Safety Unit (USP), and the Colombians stay in jail.
Different people, reminiscent of Macky Kessa, the previous mayor of Jacmel, and Félix Badio, a key suspect within the assassination case, have additionally been detained.
The case has seen greater than 40 people arrested, together with former Haitian officers, cops, Haitian People and different overseas nationals accused of aiding the plot. Some suspects have additionally been detained overseas, together with in america, the place at the least three people have obtained life sentences. Nevertheless, in Haiti, greater than three years after the assassination, no trial has been held, and the judicial system stays below scrutiny for its failure to ship justice.
Colombian President Petro to go to Haiti amid tensions
President Petro is scheduled to go to Haiti on Jan. 22, simply two days after the Courtroom of Attraction listening to. Rumors have been swirling in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, as many speculate a couple of attainable deal between Haitian authorities and the Colombian president in favor of the ex-Colombian navy members accused of being a part of the demise squad tasked with killing the Haitian president.
Nevertheless, the president of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), Lesly Voltaire, mentioned in the course of the launch of the tv present Madi Nasyon An on Jan. 14 that Petro’s go to goals to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Haiti and Colombia, specializing in safety, humanitarian help, commerce, tourism and schooling.
“We’re ready for the court docket’s ruling and hoping for the discharge of our purchasers.”
Natalie Dérisca, One of many detained Colombians’ legal professionals
Throughout his journey, the Colombian president will convene a binational Council of Ministers assembly with the CPT and members of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s cupboard in Jacmel, the capital of the Southeast Division and a vacationer vacation spot positioned roughly 58 miles from Port-au-Prince. This marks Petro’s second vital engagement with Haitian authorities representatives in current months. In December 2024, Voltaire, together with about twelve ministers and different senior officers, traveled to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, to debate regional collaboration and potential commerce agreements with Colombia.
Petro has publicly acknowledged Colombia’s function in Haiti’s destabilization, citing the unlawful trafficking of medication, weapons, and ammunition into the nation. Throughout a conference in April 2024 in Bogotá with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Petro admitted that Colombia has inadvertently contributed to Haiti’s insecurity, emphasizing the necessity for larger accountability and assist for the nation’s restoration.
Haiti is in search of South-South cooperation and commerce agreements
As introduced by Voltaire, Petro’s go to is anticipated to be an event to debate Haiti’s ongoing safety challenges and to announce humanitarian help packages for communities displaced by gang violence. Moreover, the leaders will discover commerce agreements that would permit Haiti to buy merchandise immediately from Colombia, bypassing intermediaries such because the Dominican Republic.
Schooling can be a key focus of the bilateral cooperation. Petro has promised scholarships for Haitian college students and has proposed the potential of Haiti buying weapons and ammunition by means of Colombia’s navy trade.
For now, many observers assume that the assassination of Jovenel Moïse stays a watershed second in Haiti’s fashionable historical past, underscoring the nation’s profound political and safety challenges. Whereas the upcoming listening to and Petro’s go to supply alternatives for collaboration, additionally they spotlight the unresolved tensions surrounding the case.
Like Joverlein Moïse, many Haitians proceed to demand accountability for the Haitian president’s father’s demise, whereas the worldwide neighborhood watches intently for any indicators of progress in a case that has grow to be emblematic of Haiti’s struggles with impunity and governance.
In the meantime, authorities in Port-au-Prince seem like betting closely on the Colombian president’s assist for Haiti.
“Gustavo Petro doesn’t spare any effort with the presidents of different international locations within the area to ask for assist for Haiti,” mentioned Voltaire, highlighting Petro’s guarantees of humanitarian help to the Haitian folks.