U.S. sanctions former Haitian legislator for aiding gangs and human rights violations

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions Wednesday against a former member of Haiti’s Chamber of Deputies, Prophane Victor, for his role in supporting and arming gangs in the Artibonite Department. Gang leader Luckson Élan, head of the Gran Grif group, was also sanctioned for his involvement in serious criminal activities.

According to OFAC, Victor and Élan’s actions have contributed to severe human rights violations in Haiti. The sanctions are part of the Global Magnitsky Act, targeting individuals responsible for human rights abuses and corruption worldwide.

A recent report by the United Nations Group of Experts on Haiti linked the former legislator and the Gran Grif gang leader to escalating violence in several communes of the Artibonite region, notably L’estère, Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, Liancourt, Gros-Morne, and terre-Neuve. The report highlighted rampant sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, as key methods of gang terror in Haiti.

“Promoting accountability for gender-based violence is a top priority for the U.S. government,” the State Department said in a statement reported by the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. “We will continue to use the Magnitsky sanctions program to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable, wherever they are.”

The U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions were issued under Executive Order 13818.

History of sanctions and allegations of gang involvement

Victor, a former deputy for the Petite-Rivière constituency in the Artibonite Department, has been previously sanctioned for his alleged role in gang violence. In June 2023, Canada imposed sanctions on Victor and former Artibonite Senator Gracia Delva, banning them from entering Canadian territory and freezing any assets they held in Canada.

These actions were part of a broader effort by Canada and the U.S. to target Haitian officials and political figures accused of exacerbating the country’s insecurity. Other sanctioned figures include former senators Joseph Lambert, Youri Latortue, and Hervé Fourcand, as well as former Deputies Gary Bodeau and Rony Célestin.

 “Even if we can consider the sanctions as not serious, it is a form of incentive to encourage the cooperation of those sanctioned in order to unblock the situation in Haiti.”

Brian Canconnon, Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH).

Victor has been repeatedly accused of working with gangs in Haiti, particularly in Savien, Artibonite, where the Gran Grif gang operates. In July 2019, Savien’s former gang leader, known as Odma, accused Victor of supplying him with firearms and ammunition during his campaign for office. Victor denied the accusations, and no investigation was launched into the allegations by Haitian authorities.

Local reports at the time indicated that Victor used a police inspector to support Odma’s criminal activities during his campaign. After the 2015 election, Odma allegedly used the weapons provided by Victor for his own purposes, leading to further violence in the region.

Escalating violence in Artibonite

The Artibonite department has been engulfed by gang violence in recent years, with civilians caught in the crossfire. From April to June 2024, attacks by the Gran Grif and Kokorat San Ras gangs resulted in at least 76 casualties, including children, in Gros-Morne, L’Estère, Liancourt, Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, and Terre Neuve, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

Gangs in the region have been involved in murders, kidnappings, rapes, and looting, destabilizing communities and displacing thousands of residents.

The U.S. sanctions against Victor and Élan come shortly after sanctions were imposed on former Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly for his alleged involvement in global drug trafficking and his role in Haiti’s security and political collapse.

“Martelly abused his influence to facilitate the trafficking of dangerous drugs, including cocaine, into the United States,” the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.

Critics of the sanctions argue that they are ineffective in holding perpetrators accountable, as they do not lead to criminal trials. However, others believe sanctions are a necessary tool to pressure individuals involved in Haiti’s crisis.

“Even if we consider the sanctions not serious, they incentivize cooperation to resolve the situation in Haiti,” said Brian Concannon, executive director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH).

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U.S. sanctions former Haitian legislator for aiding gangs and human rights violations was first posted on September 27, 2024 at 10:25 am.