By Loop News, Jan. 13, 2023
Canada has imposed sanctions against former deputy Arnel Bélizaire and businessman Charles Saint-Rémy, also brother-in-law of former president Michel Martelly. They are accused of using their status to protect gangs and enabling their illegal drug trafficking and other acts of corruption.
"Canada has reason to believe that these individuals are using their status as prominent members of Haiti's elite to protect armed criminal gangs and enable their illegal activities, including drug trafficking and other acts of corruption," Global Affairs Canada said in a statement, quoting Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.
Joly's statement, published Friday, January 13, 2023, continued "these gangs and their supporters continue to terrorize vulnerable populations in Haiti with impunity and precipitate the humanitarian crisis in which the country is plunged, marked by a resurgence of cholera. They also commit acts of violence against the affected populations and prevent the delivery of essential services and the delivery of humanitarian aid."
These sanctions freeze any assets that the person may hold in Canada, the statement said.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, former MP Arnel Bélizaire and entrepreneur Charles (Kiko) Saint-Rémy are prohibited from traveling to Canadia, the Global Affairs text pointed out.
Posted Feb. 19, 2023