U.S. to Charge Suspect in Haiti President’s Murder, Widening Investigation
New York TimesNov 30, 2021
Man Pleads Guilty in US Probe of Haiti President Assassination
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Image copyright: Getty Images [via The New York Times]
The Facts
On Friday, Rodolphe Jaar, a dual Haitian and Chilean citizen arrested in January 2022, pleaded guilty in a US federal court to three charges related to his role in the assassination of Haitian Pres. Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
According to court records, Jaar pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping, conspiring to provide material support, and providing material support, including arms, food, and lodging to co-conspirators.
The Spin
Narrative A
Haiti's current chaos is partly the product of consistent US intervention and meddling. Yet despite this, the US government sees it as still too risky to intervene with military force and also discriminates against Haitian migrants. While the US should not be held directly responsible for not reconstructing an entire foreign economy and society, it bears a good deal of responsibility for supporting its Caribbean neighbor and should be more hands-on.
Narrative B
Haiti doesn't need foreign intervention, particularly from the US. Such ongoing whispers are part of a long line of attempts to smother the popular aspirations of the Haitian people. Real change must occur through empowering the people's will — not via the US or a proxy Haitian government — as Haitians are frustrated by a long colonial and neocolonial exploitation history.
