The U.S. government has provided new information on those sanctioned for their involvement in fueling violence in Haiti.
The previously drafted list has been amended to include family members of gangs and those who finance them. Visa restrictions and other types of sanctions were adopted against troublemakers.
“Our intention in imposing these visa restrictions is to demonstrate that there are consequences for those who incite violence and unrest in the country, while continuing to support citizens, organizations and officials in Haiti who are committed to generating hope and opportunity for a better future in their nation,” said a State Department official in an email conversation with an editor from the ZoomHaitiNews and CaribbeanTelevisionNetwork media groups. The policy of sanctioning foreign nationals is in accordance with Section 2129(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, commonly known as Section 3N of the INA, the official said. “Under INA Section 212(a)(3)(C), an alien is inadmissible if the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe that the alien’s entry or proposed activities in the United States “could have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States …,” he added.
Only three names have been made public so far. They are Jimmy Chérizier alias Barbecue, Joseph Pierre Richard Duplan and Fednel Monchéry. No other names have been made public contrary to information relayed by some media. This list will be amended as time goes on.
Other institutions and foreign countries have also adopted sanctions against members of armed gangs and their financiers.
On October 21, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution “sanctioning Haitian criminal actors. This resolution includes specific measures to enable the Security Council to address the security challenges facing the Haitian people, including a targeted arms embargo, financial sanctions, and a travel ban on those fomenting violence in Haiti who are designated by the Committee,” the U.S. official said.
Canada has also adopted sanctions against certain Haitian personalities. The news was announced by the Canadian Minister of International Development, Harjit Sajjan, in an exclusive interview with ZOOMHAITINEWS and CaribbeanTelevisionNetwork.