Florida Democrat introduces legislation on Haiti
Barbecue, the leader of the ‘G9 and Family’ gang, stands next to garbage to call attention to the conditions people live in as he leads a march against kidnapping through La Saline neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in October 2021.
WASHINGTON (CMC):
Florida Democrat, Val Demings, has introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022 to the House of Representatives which would require the US Department of State to investigate the nature of the relationship between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti and to submit an annual report to Congress on that topic.
“Governments must protect their citizens. I’m fighting for a Haiti free from fear and gang violence, where the Haitian people have the safety and freedom to build their own future,” said Demmings.
“This new legislation will help us identify bad actors behind Haiti’s lawlessness and hold them accountable. After the brazen assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, killings and kidnappings have soared, with the backing of Haitian political and economic elites,” she said, adding that the United States must take concrete steps to hold these “criminals accountable and help the Haitian people achieve stability, freedom, human rights, and democracy”.
Demings said that the legislation follows successful models used to investigate corruption in Russia and other nations and to lay the groundwork for US sanctions and cooperative international crackdowns.
Demings co-chairs the House Haiti Caucus, which she helped to form in 2021. Over the past year, the Caucus has closely monitored efforts to restore democracy in Haiti, worked to ensure the safety of kidnapped missionaries and led efforts to send COVID-19 vaccines to Haiti.
Demings has led calls for stability, security and democracy following the assassination of Moise in July last year, including a transparent, independent investigation into that act. Since the assassination, she has pushed the Biden-Harris administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler Ariel Henry.
Demings has successfully called for the redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status and a renewal of the lapsed Haitian Family Reunification Parole programme, and called for an immediate halt to deportations of Haitian asylum seekers which have contributed to a worsening crisis.