Former Deputy Arnel Bélizaire was apprehended in the afternoon of Saturday, March 14, 2026, by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) at a hotel in Pétion-Ville. This new arrest, which comes at a sensitive time, is part of a long series of legal troubles that have marked the career of this former parliamentarian for over three decades.
The former deputy for Delmas/Tabarre had been the subject of a wanted notice issued against him on February 5 by the judicial police, on serious charges: financing of terrorism, conspiracy against the state security, criminal association, and money laundering. His arrest comes just two days after he submitted his political party’s documents to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) as part of the registration process to participate in the upcoming elections.
An arrest that recalls that of 2019
This new arrest is reminiscent of a similar incident that occurred just over six years earlier. On the night of Friday, November 29 to Saturday, November 30, 2019, Arnel Bélizaire was arrested in Jacmel along with his brother Clermont Bélizaire and six other individuals: Jean Pierre Fleure, Pierre Killick Cémélus, Joanel Paul, Garry Phillemond, Mackenton Estoril, and Roberson Harry Joanis.
During that arrest, law enforcement seized a veritable war arsenal: three rifles, five pistols, three grenades, a gas mask, twelve pistol magazines, eight rifle magazines, large quantities of ammunition, cash, and communication equipment. Transferred to Port-au-Prince by helicopter on November 30, he was questioned on December 4 at the DCPJ. The charges brought against him at that time were already exceptionally serious: “conspiracy against the internal security of the State, the US Embassy, and Brasserie la Couronne” for having threatened these institutions.
Arnel Bélizaire had experienced several arrests between 1995 and 2011, including the one that occurred on October 27, 2011, while he was a deputy and returning from a parliamentary mission in France. This incident caused a scandal. Some of his close associates and fellow parliamentarians considered the arrest illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional, as the arrest warrant had not taken into account the deputy’s parliamentary immunity.
International sanctions
The US State Department officially designated Arnel Bélizaire under Section 7031(c) of the State Department’s appropriations act for his involvement in significant corrupt acts during his tenure as a deputy. This designation renders him, as well as members of his immediate family, generally ineligible for entry into the United States.
According to the State Department, Bélizaire is accused of abusing his position by interfering in public governmental processes in Haiti, thereby contributing to instability and hindering the country’s democratic governance. Canada had also sanctioned him for his alleged support of armed gangs and for corruption.
The former parliamentarian, known for his resilience in the face of legal proceedings and his ability to make a political comeback despite a lengthy record, may now face a major judicial challenge, in a national and international context particularly sensitive to the fight against insecurity and corruption.
It remains to be seen whether this new arrest will mark a turning point in the long legal history of Arnel Bélizaire, or if, as in the past, the former deputy will manage to slip through the meshes of a legal net that has been trying to close in on him for over thirty years.
