U.S. sanctions former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

2023-06-03T23:14:32.457Z

Highlights: Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is accused of embezzlement. He will not be able to enter the territory of the United States, where he resides. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoes the suspicions of corruption that have long weighed on the person concerned. Lamothe played a key role in the election of former musician Michel Martelly as president before becoming minister, then prime minister until 2014. The fund was funded by Venezuela and was supposed to help Haiti rebuild after the devastating earthquake of 2010.

Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is accused of embezzlement. He will not be able to enter the territory of the United States, where he resides.

U.S. sanctions former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is accused of embezzlement. He will not be able to enter the territory of the United States, where he resides.

Laurent Lamothe attends an event Salesforce.com Dreamforce in San Francisco, California, November 19, 2013. (Illustrative photo) REUTERS - Robert Galbraith

Text by: RFI Follow

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With our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin

Laurent Lamothe will not be able to return to his Miami residence. According to a US official quoted by the Miami Herald daily, the former Haitian prime minister left the country late last month. This is what the State Department was clearly waiting for to sanction him.

In his statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoes the suspicions of corruption that have long weighed on the person concerned. He is accused of embezzling at least $60 million from the Petrocaribe infrastructure and social protection investment fund for his personal benefit.

Today, I am announcing the designation under Section 7031(c) of former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe for his involvement in significant corruption while in office. We are committed to promoting accountability for corrupt officials in Haiti.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 2, 2023

The fund was funded by Venezuela and was supposed to help Haiti rebuild after the devastating earthquake of 2010.

The following year, Laurent Lamothe played a key role in the election of former musician Michel Martelly as president before becoming minister, then prime minister until 2014. He had been removed from office at the insistence of the United States. At the time, Laurent Lamothe was already accused of many acts of corruption that he has always denied. To date, he is the most prominent figure sanctioned by the Biden administration, sanctions that come after those pronounced by Canada for the same reasons.

>> READ ALSO: Haiti: the Court of Auditors again pins the power in the Petrocaribe scandal

U.S. sanctions former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

U.S. sanctions former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

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