Haiti Ex-Senator Pleads Guilty Over 2021 Assassination

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Facts

• In a U.S. court on Tuesday, former Haitian senator Joseph Joel John pleaded guilty in Miami for his role in the killing of Haiti's president, Jovenel Moise, who was slain in 2021.¹
• The case is being heard in US federal court. John is now the third of 11 defendants to plead guilty in connection with a plot to kill Moise.²
• In the investigation, two other prominent suspects have also entered guilty pleas. Last month, German Rivera, a retired officer from the Colombian army, acknowledged providing material support. Rodolphe Jaar, a dual citizen of Chile and Haiti, pleaded guilty in March and has already received a life sentence.³
• A US investigation uncovered that two managers of the Miami-based security firm CTU devised a plan to kidnap Moïse and replace him with Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American who aspired to become president. According to US prosecutors, they were promised substantial future infrastructure and security contracts in exchange for their support.³
• After Moïse's assassination, Haiti has endured turmoil, as violent gangs now rule the majority of Port-au-Prince and other parts of Haiti. Last week, the UN Security Council agreed to send an international force of 1K personnel to help restore order.⁴

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Latinpost, ³Dw.com and ⁴Barrons.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Jamaica observer. This case is clear-cut from the perspective of US law. John is the third defendant charged with the July 2021 murder of President Moise at his home outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Due to the fact that the murder plot was organized in Florida, which has a sizable Haitian diaspora, the US has jurisdiction over the case. Along with his other defendants, the former senator from Haiti will probably spend significant time in prison.
• Narrative B, as provided by Latinpost. This case goes far beyond the interest of the US or the former Moise administration. After President Moise was assassinated two years ago, violent gangs seized control of significant portions of the island and carried out murders, kidnappings, and gang rapes — plunging Haiti into chaos. This is a vital puzzle piece towards restoring order, democracy, and justice to the Caribbean nation as a whole.

Predictions