The assassination of President Moïse plunged Haiti into chaos. Two years later, German Rivera, a retired Colombian army officer, pleaded guilty to three counts on Thursday, September 7, in this case, which dates back to July 2021. The 44-year-old man could be sentenced to life in prison, according to court documents in Florida federal court.
The former soldier nicknamed “Colonel Mike” is, like other accused, tried according to American law because the plan to assassinate Jovenel Moïse was partially developed in Florida, even if it was executed in the capital Haitian, Port-au-Prince. Mr. Moïse, then president, was shot and killed on July 7, 2021 at his home by a commando of more than 20 trained people, mainly Colombians, without his guards intervening. The operation initially aimed to kidnap the president but evolved into an assassination, according to court documents.
In February, American lawyer Markenzy Lapointe explained at a press conference that this plot had been motivated by money and power. An American investigation revealed that two men at the head of a security company in Miami, CTU, had planned to sequester the ex-president to replace him with an American-Haitian, Christian Sanon, who wanted to become president of the country.
An attempted conspiracy
Lucrative infrastructure projects as well as contracts providing for the supply of military equipment and security forces to Mr. Sanon’s future government had been promised to them in exchange for the kidnapping of Mr. Moïse, prosecutors detailed. Christian Sanon is also being prosecuted in the United States.
In June, another participant in this plot, Rodolphe Jaar, of Haitian and Chilean nationality, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for supplying weapons to the assassins.
The death of Jovenel Moïse plunged Haiti even further into chaos, while the Caribbean state was already prey to violence from gangs who control a majority of the capital. 1er September, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations, denounced the“extreme brutality” demonstrated by the gangs, calling for “stop the carnage”.