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4 arrested in connection to assassination of Haitian President
Earlier this week in Florida, four men were arrested in connection to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Earlier this week in Florida, four men were arrested in connection to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
The assassination left the nation in shock, with many questioning why this happened and who was responsible.
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The four men were identified as: Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa; Antonio Intriago 59, a Venezuelan American of Miami; Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and permanent resident of Miami; and Walter Veintemilla, 54, of Weston.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Four more people arrested for Haiti leader's murder plot <a href="https://t.co/gIgyqgN76v">https://t.co/gIgyqgN76v</a></p>— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1625631023437316098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
According to officials, Intriago, Ortiz, and Veintemilla were charged with supporting a conspiracy to kidnap or kill Moise, while Bergmann was charged with conspiracy to commit export violations for conspiring to smuggle 20 ballistic vests from South Florida to Haiti for ex-soldiers allegedly tasked with killing Moise.
The four hoped to secure construction contracts in return for the assassination, authorities alleged. With the ongoing federal investigation into the plot, out of the 11 alleged conspirators now in U.S. custody, nine are charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death.
Prosecutors would not rule out further arrests in connection with the assassination. “This was both a human tragedy and an assault on core democratic principles”, said Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Markenzy Lapointe, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said, “It appears that money and power — with an emphasis on money — were the opportunities that fueled the plot to overthrow Haitian President Jovenel Moise.”
The initial plot was to overthrow Moise and install a president who would advance his killers’ interests, Lapointe said, but the plot later changed to killing the Haitian president.
The news of the President’s assassination sent shockwaves through the tiny Caribbean nation, leaving many Haitians reeling. Moïse’s death has been followed by a rise in extreme violence in Haiti by gangs seeking to fill the power vacuum by gaining more power and control more territory.
Haiti being one of the poorest countries in the world has suffered from natural disasters, rampant gang violence and a longstanding political deadlock which was worsened by the assassination.
A spike in kidnappings, rapes and killings have prompted Prime Minister Ariel Henry to demand the immediate deployment of foreign troops.
Many have fled Haiti in the past year, making potentially deadly voyages aboard. As stated by one citizen, “Every day is a fight. It’s a fight to stay alive. It’s a fight to eat. It’s a fight to survive.”
Amid all the chaos, the prospect of elections or any other means of establishing a legitimate
government looks bleak.
Reflecting on the loss
The slain president was well known for his prolific Twitter use, often flooding his followers with updates on his day-to-day activities. While many thought it was nice to see such an active president, many people felt that he was a bit too active, especially when it came to his tweets about politics.
Nonetheless, Moise’s death is a great loss for the Haitian people. Moïse’s widow, Martine, continues to demand justice. The fact that the assassination remains unsolved, despite ongoing investigations in Haiti and the United States, is a further symptom of the impunity that has been a toxic feature of Haitian justice for decades.
