Former Haitian Senator Jacques Sauveur Jean to undergo surgery following accident

FORT-LIBERTE—Jacques Sauveur Jean, widely known as the musical artist “Jackito” and a former Haitian senator, fractured his left arm in a severe accident on the morning of Sep. 6. He is currently awaiting surgery at a local hospital. 

The accident occurred on his estate in Ferrier, a commune in Haiti’s Northeast department, where Jean fell from a rooftop during a routine exercise, according to one of his family members.

The former senator’s sister-in-law, Rose Garcia Cadet, said that the singer-entrepreneur was immediately transported and admitted to the private hospital Ouanaminthe Community Medical Center (OCMC) to receive the necessary care for his injury.

“We appreciate those concerned and visiting to check the situation,” Cadet said in a video posted on the Ouanaminthe Info Plus Facebook account. “While rumors are circulating, what is true is that he fell [Jackito] from the rooftop of a building and is being treated at the hospital. We will hold a press conference soon, possibly tomorrow or the next day, to update everyone on his condition,” she reassured.

The accident reportedly occurred following a disagreement with Moïse Joseph, the president of the Ounaminthe irrigation canal construction committee, who, along with several community members, was attempting to deposit trucks of debris in front of Jean’s farm due to poor road conditions.

Jean’s supporters have criticized Joseph, stating that the altercation contributed to the accident.  Entrepreneur Jean, who has voiced concerns about mystical attacks on himself and his family, renewed his belief after the accident. “Due to these mystical attacks, I always feel vulnerable, which is why I have relocated my children out of Haiti,” the former senator said.

Joseph, also a pastor,  initiated efforts to improve the road conditions, which were exacerbated by a torrent of water and a mud hill after heavy rainfalls. 

The president of the irrigation canal committee sharply criticized the Haitian singer, who served as a senator during the presidency of the late Jovenel Moise, for neglecting to pave the road adjacent to his residence. “He was a senator, yet he didn’t even construct the road in front of his house,” Joseph remarked.

The road leading to farmers’ fields has been a point of contention among residents, who have often expressed dissatisfaction with the government authorities.

Many community members have expressed mixed feelings about Jean, noting his significant investments in the area since 2010 yet criticizing his lack of charitable contributions. In response, Jean said: “Before I invested in Merande [Ferrier’s locality], the area was neglected. Entrepreneurs who invest in a business are not there just to distribute handouts.”

Following the accident, Jean’s surgery for his fractured left arm, initially scheduled for the evening of Sep. 8, has been postponed to later this week for undisclosed reasons.

He remains a prominent figure in Haiti’s agricultural sector, notably in his native Northeast department. He is known for his work on the Ouanaminthe irrigation canal construction, rice production in the Maribaroux Plain, and his influence on Haiti’s political and Haitian music scenes.

Jean, 57, began his musical career at 16 as a charismatic and charming pop singer. At 20, he produced one of his biggest hits, “Lanmou Doudou.” In 2003, he adopted the stage name “Jackito” and transitioned to traditional Haitian Konpa music. In 2015, he paused his music career to run for one of the three Senate seats in the Northeast department under the Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK), led by his friend, fellow musician-turned-politician and former Haitian President (2011-2016) Michel Joseph Martelly.

On September 13, 2021, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, the former senator officially left the PHTK, which he co-founded, to establish his new political party, the Artist and Peasant Party (PAP). At the time, he stated in the press that he could no longer support a party suspected of involvement in a president’s murder, alluding to Moïse’s assassination. However, in a letter addressed to the president of the party, Liné Balthazar, Jean announced his resignation from his position as co-founder, citing personal reasons.

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