Six people were killed and at least five others wounded during anti-corruption protests across Haiti. Haitians want to know how money from a Venezuelan-sponsored oil assistance programme was used. The Republic of Haiti is a country located on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba in the Greater Antilles..
Six people were killed and at least five others wounded during anti-corruption protests across Haiti. Haitians want to know how money from a Venezuelan-sponsored oil assistance programme was misused.
Background
The Republic of Haiti is a country located on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The country has been beset by corruption scandals for decades: Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perception Index ranks the country 157th place out of 180 countries.
In 2018, citizens have taken part in violent protests after a report compiled in August by the Haitian Senate called for charges to be brought against two former prime ministers and several other government officials for alleged embezzlement of US$3.8 billion, abuse of power and forgery in connection with a Venezuelan oil loan program.
Starting in 2005, Venezuela offered discounted crude oil with lenient repayment terms to countries around Central American and the Caribbean.
Much of the financial support to help Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake comes from the PetroCaribe fund, which gives suppliers below-market financing for oil and is under the control of the central government. PetroCaribe, a Venezuelan-led oil alliance between the South American nation and Caribbean countries, was funnelling money into Haitian government coffers. The Haitian Senate’s report follows up the parliamentary investigation into whether the PetroCaribe funds were then misspent by previous administrations. In October at least two people were killed and dozens were injured as anti-corruption protesters numbering in the thousands surged through the streets of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. A police spokesman said 11 civilians were injured by bullets and 11 officers by flying rocks, but other officials reported higher civilian injuries. Haiti is the poorest Latin American country, with almost 60 percent of its population living below the national poverty line of $2.41 per day, according to the World Bank.
The impoverished country, which remains extremely vulnerable to natural hazards, is still rebuilding from the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Analysis
Six people were killed and at least five others wounded during anti-corruption protests across Haiti, police said, as anger grows over the disappearance of billions of dollars linked to a public finance programme. Thousands of Haitians marched in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the country on Sunday calling for a probe into the spending of $3.8bn Haiti received from Venezuela as part of an oil assistance programme. President Jovenel Moise called for dialogue with opposition groups that are seeking his resignation for failing to investigate corruption.
Clashes with police erupted on 18 November after protesters blocked streets and set four people were wounded in clashes in San Marcos, northeast of the capital, and dozens were arrested, police said. There were also reports of clashes in smaller protests across the country. Police said they deployed more than 3,000 officers in the capital, the city of Cap-Haitien and smaller cities and towns.
Demonstrators demanded a trial for officials involved in the alleged misuse of public funds. Moise has said that his administration would investigate the allegations of embezzlement and hold all those responsible accountable. As part of a purge linked to the corruption scandal, two top government officials and 15 advisers were removed from office last month.
But on Sunday, demonstrators reiterated their demand for answers into the missing finds, as they marched with banners reading: “Where is the Petrocaribe money?” “We ask for the Petrocaribe trial,” said Adrien Jean, protester. “Second, the departure of accused (President) Jovenel Moise.”
Tensions have been running high in the Latin American nation since an investigation by Haiti’s Senate revealed alleged embezzlement by at least 14 former government officials in former President Michel Martelly’s administration.
The Senate’s report, which was published in August, has accused two former prime ministers and former government officials of abuse of authority and forgery stemming from the use of funds in the Venezuelan-sponsored Petrocaribe programme. No one has been charged yet.
Assessment
Our assessment is that the unrest has been caused by Haiti’s citizens outrage over the lack of arrests and the slow pace of the investigation over the PetroCaribe scandal. We believe that the government will have difficulties regaining credibility with the general public, but that restoring faith in the government would be the only means by which to prevent more violence and an eventual uprising.
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