The investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse remains stalled in Haiti.
(Read here: They ask the Court to review the conditions of detainees for the assassination of Haiti)
One year after the murder and despite numerous arrests, theories still abound, but without resulting in specific accusations or sentences against those involved.
In the United States, however, the process has been advancing in silence and is already yielding some results..
(See also: IACHR extended precautionary measure for Colombians detained in Haiti)
Washington is involved in the process because it is convinced that the assassination was planned from the United States and had the participation of Haitian-American citizens.
Likewise, they investigate the role of CTU, a Florida-based company that hired some of the former Colombian soldiers and others who ended up implicated in the murder.
CTU, in addition, is the security company that Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American pastor who wanted to be president of Haiti and who some believe was the brains of the operation, went to. Something that Sanon, under arrest in Port-au-Prince, denies.
Since January of this year, US authorities have extradited three people whom they accuse of participating in the murder. They are former Colombian military officer Mario Palacios, Haitian Chilean Rodolphe Jaar and former Haitian enator Joseph Joel John.
The three are linked to the same process being carried out by the South Florida District Attorney’s Office where they are accused of being part of a conspiracy to kidnap and assassinate the Haitian president. If found guilty, the contemplated sentence is life imprisonment.
Since they all agreed to be extradited to the United States voluntarily, it is assumed that they are cooperating with the authorities. According to the authorities, Palacios confessed that he was hired to travel to Haiti with the goal of kidnapping President Moïse and then flying him out of the country. On July 6, other members of the team informed him that the plan had changed and the objective was to assassinate the president.
Jaar, meanwhile, is a former DEA informant, and was arrested in the Dominican Republic. In addition to conspiracy to commit kidnapping or murder, he is accused of providing arms, ammunition and lodging to those who carried out the operation and then helping them to escape. According to FBI Special Agent Jacqueline Valdés, Jaar admitted to these latest charges during a preliminary interview.
Former Senator John was also extradited from Jamaica. And although he is accused of being part of the same conspiracy, his role would have been to provide material assistance to the murderers.
According to him indicationJohn was part of a meeting with a Haitian judge in which Moïse’s arrest was ordered and it was agreed to grant immunity to those responsible for the operation. Likewise, they accuse him of providing cars and weapons for the incident and of attending another meeting on July 6 in which it was decided to assassinate the president.
US authorities have also traveled to Haiti several times to interview some of those involved. Among them the Haitian Americans Joseph Vincent and James Solages.
Palacios confessed that he was hired to travel to Haiti with the goal of kidnapping President Moïse and then flying him out of the country.
And they also seek the extradition of Sanon, who although he is not mentioned by name in the process against Palacios, Jaar and John, it is clear that they consider him one of the masterminds because of the way he is described in the judicial document.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
TIME CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
#investigation #Moïses #assassination #progressing