Haitian police arrest ex-lawmaker long accused of arming gangs to influence elections
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/01/2025 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Police in Haiti have arrested a former legislator long accused of arming gangs in the country’s central region and previously sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada.
Prophane Victor, an ex-member of Parliament who represented the Petite Riviere community of the Artibonite region, was arrested on Sunday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to Haiti’s National Police.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Victor had an attorney.
His arrest marks a rare win for Haitian police in a country where high-ranking politicians accused in killings and gang activity often act with impunity and move about the country freely.
Police said in a statement that a former gang leader had accused Victor several times of colluding with gang members operating in Artibonite, especially in the community of Savien.
Meanwhile, a U.N. report released last year noted that Victor began arming young men in Petite Riviere to secure his 2016 election win. Those men eventually formed Gran Grif, the largest gang in Artibonite.
The report noted that Victor had a falling out with Gran Grif in 2020 “as a result of unfulfilled promises made during the election period.” Since then, officials accused Victor of supporting rival gangs.
Canada sanctioned Victor in June 2023 as did the U.S. in September 2024, accusing him of supporting gangs “that have committed serious human rights abuse.”
In October, the Gran Grif gang was accused of killings dozens of people in one of the biggest massacres in Haiti’s recent history. The massacre occurred in the community of Pont-Sonde, located in the Artibonite region.