PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Nov14, Two government ministers have resigned their positions in the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry amid speculation that they were forced to do so after the United States revoked their American visas.
According to a decree published in the special issue of the official journal, “Le Moniteur,” the Minister of Justice Berto Dorcé and the Interior Minister, Liszt Quite, had tendered their resignations.
It gave no reasons for the resignation, noting that Prime Minster Henry will act as Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities. In addition, the decree noted that Emmelie Prophet Milcé would act as the Minister of Justice and Public Security.
Media reports here said that the two ministers were forced to resign following the revocation of their American visas within the framework of the sanctions imposed by the United States.
The American authorities did not communicate the reasons for revoking the visas of the two ministers in contrast to what had been done concerning the sanctions taken against the President of the Senate, Joseph Lambert, and the former Senator, Youri Latortue, both of whom had been sanctioned by Washington.
Both Lambert and Latortue had denied the allegations made against them by the United States and Canada and have both indicated a desire to challenge the allegations.
In a statement, Latortue, who is also a former Police Commissioner, said that it was important for him to clear his name. Canada named him and Lambert for engaging in criminal activities.
Lambert said he would challenge the decision of the United States and Canada to impose sanctions against him for his alleged involvement in “significant corruption” and “gross violation of human rights.”
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced that it was sanctioning Lambert, with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken saying Lambert “abused his public position by participating in a corrupt activity that undermined the integrity of Haiti’s government.
In a separate but similar action, the US Department of the Treasury designated Lambert for his alleged involvement in international drug trafficking.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mélanie Joly, said that her country is imposing targeted sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations “in response to the egregious conduct of Haitian political elites who provide illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs.
“These sanctions target two individuals, President of the Senate Joseph Lambert and former President of the Senate Youri Latortue. The new measures will impose a dealings prohibition on these individuals, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada.”
and then 