Michel Martelly, Joseph Lambert, Laurent Lamothe, Gilbert Bigio, Youri Latortue, Arnel Bélizaire, Hervé Fourcand, Rony Celestin and Jean-Henry Céant,
Some of the politicians and entrepreneurs that are sanctioned by the United States and Canada. Top row from left to right: Michel Martelly, Joseph Lambert, Laurent Lamothe; middle row from left to right: Gilbert Bigio, Youri Latortue, Arnel Bélizaire; bottom row from left to right: Hervé Fourcand, Rony Celestin and Jean-Henry Céant.

Louisma Louisjuste, an entrepreneur based in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, gave up on his dreams of becoming an elected official in 2019. It was simply too difficult to become one if you’re not backed up by gangs, he said. 

“I don’t want to be in a campaign in which a guy with a gun is supporting me,” Louisjuste said in a phone interview. “Most entrepreneurs and politicians in Haiti have a gang with them.”

Overview:

Some Haitians want the Haitian government to penalize the politicians and entrepreneurs who were sanctioned abroad for having ties to gangs.

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Email me at onz@haitiantimes.com
Onz Chery is a Haiti correspondent for The Haitian Times. Chery started his journalism career as a City College of New York student with The Campus. He later wrote for First Touch, local soccer leagues in New York and Elite Sports New York before joining The Haitian Times in 2019.