Former Minister of Justice and Public Security, Paul Denis, passed away this Monday, March 11, 2024, in Port-Salut, in the Southern department of Haiti, according to several media outlets, including Alter Presse. The political leader reportedly succumbed to discomfort.
Paul Denis was one of the most influential figures in the Haitian political landscape over the past 20 years. As the founder of the INIFÒS party and former leader of the Organization of the People in Struggle (OPL) party, he served as a senator of the Republic before being appointed Minister of Justice a few years later. He was a respected political figure both in Haiti and abroad.
His passing was mourned by several personalities in the Haitian political class.
“I learned with great sadness of the passing of our compatriot Paul Denis, former senator of the Republic and Minister of Justice and Public Security, this Monday, March 11, 2024, following discomfort. It is a great loss for our beloved Haiti, which is currently going through one of the worst crises in its history. I had the privilege of collaborating with Paul in the private office of former President René Préval. As a member of the steering committee of the political platform INITE, which endorsed my candidacy for the 2010 senatorial elections, I got to know him closely and appreciate his love for the country and his sense of responsibility. In this painful circumstance, I offer my sincere condolences to his family, his close collaborators, his comrades in arms, his supporters, and the members of the INITE political platform,” wrote former President Jocelerme Privert on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
J'ai appris avec beaucoup de peine la nouvelle de la mort de notre compatriote Paul Denis, ancien sénateur de la République et ministre de la Justice et de la Sécurité publique, ce lundi 11 mars 2024, des suites d'un malaise. C'est une grande perte pour notre chère Haïti qui… pic.twitter.com/oJZF4SOIy5
— JOCELERME PRIVERT (@privertjocelerm) March 11, 2024
“I lost a friend, a comrade. Someone for whom I have a lot of esteem and great respect,” posted Edgar Leblanc Fils, General Coordinator of the OPL, who expressed deep sadness over the death of his former colleague.
Adieu Paul !
Le voyage sera certes tourmenté car tu laisses à un moment où le pays est plus que meurtri.Que la terre te soit légère !
Edgard Leblanc Fils pic.twitter.com/jndXtREQhR
— Edgard LEBLANC Fils (@EdgardLeblanc) March 11, 2024
The Haitian government also honored the memory of the former Minister of Justice.
“The passing of Mr. Paul Denis is a great loss for the country,” said a statement from the Haitian government, paying tribute to the memory of the former Minister of Justice. “An upright man, with a free spirit, Paul Denis always defended republican values and fought for change. The former senator devoted his entire life to the cause of the Haitian people and served his country with loyalty. The iconic figure of Paul Denis will certainly be missed in the Haitian landscape,” the statement continued.
Until recently, he was deeply involved in efforts to find a solution to the Haitian crisis.