Caribbean News
U.S. Sanctions Additional Haitian Politicians for Alleged Drug Trafficking
By Sherrica Thompson
Staff Writer
#USA, December 9, 2022 – As the United States and its partners continue to target those it believes to be involved in gang violence in Haiti, the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday, December 2, imposed sanctions on two additional Haitian Senators.
The sanctions are said to target a current Haitian senator Rony Celestin and a former Haitian senator Richard Lenine Hervé Fourcand, for their alleged contribution to the “international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.”
“Rony Celestin and Richard Fourcand are two more examples of corrupt Haitian politicians abusing their power to further drug trafficking activities across the region,” Treasury official Brian E Nelson said in a statement.
Adding that, “Treasury will continue to hold corrupt officials and malign actors accountable for the illicit drug trafficking that is destabilizing Haiti.”
The U.S. has now sanctioned four members of the Haitian Senate, including the current president of the Senate, Joseph Lambert, and former Senator Youri Latortue, who were both sanctioned last month for their alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking.
While the U.S. and Canada alike have indicated that these Haitian politicians are involved in drug trafficking, no concrete evidence or criminal prosecutions have been brought against any of the mentioned men.
Both Lambert and Latortue rejected the accusations laid against them. Just days after the U.S. and Canada imposed the sanctions last month, Lambert revealed that he will be challenging the countries’ decision for imposing sanctions against him for his alleged involvement in “significant corruption” and “gross violation of human rights.”
The president of the Senate said he had already given a mandate to an unknown law firm to pursue the matter noting that “law and justice are put to the test.”
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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