Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe was refused entry to the US on Friday. It was due to his “involvement in significant corruption.”
The State Department stated that Lamothe is now generally ineligible for entry into the United States as a result of this action. The State Department said in its statement that Lamothe had taken “at least sixty million dollars from the Haitian nation’s PetroCaribe development and social assistance fund for personal gain.” Lamothe resigned in 2014 after weeks of demonstrations demanding that he and the country’s then-President Michel Martelly step down.
Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe Involved In Corrupt Practices
The Miami Herald said that Laurent Lamothe, who has a property in Miami, departed the country late last month as well as the State Department issued the travel warning as soon as this information was verified.
Promising young talent in Haitian politics at the beginning of the decade, Lamothe resigned after mounting dissatisfaction over allegations of corruption in his administration and a lack of openness around monies from the PetroCaribe Venezuelan program intended for Haiti’s reconstruction following the devastating 2010 earthquake.
As part of actions aimed at those who are allegedly funding violent groups in the nation, Canada sanctioned Lamothe in November along with Martelly and an ex-prime minister, Jean Henry Ceant. Laurent Lamothe claimed that Ottawa was uninformed at the time, and he intended to defend himself in court, according to a report in Canadian media.
Large portions of Haiti are now under the control of heavily armed gangs. It is forcing tens of thousands to flee a deteriorating humanitarian situation. The UN said it might put more than 100,000 kids at risk of starvation.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s caretaker administration asked for an international attack force to assist reestablish order last October. While nations have been hesitant to send troops to back Henry’s unelected administration, Canada and the US have enacted a number of penalties against political and corporate leaders in Haiti.
