Colombian ex-soldier sentenced to life in prison for assassination of Haitian president

A Miami court sentences a former Colombian soldier to life in prison for his role in the assassination of Haiti’s president

A Miami court has sentenced a former Colombian military official to life in prison for his involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

Mario Antonio Palacios, 45, pleaded guilty in federal court late last year.

Prior to that, he had denied for months that he had any role in the attack on July 7, 2021, in which Moise was shot dead at his private residence by a force of more than 20 men, mostly Colombian mercenaries.

According to the indictment, Palacios, along with mercenaries, broke into the president’s home and stole money and jewelry.

The U.S. Justice Department decided that the case, in which 11 people were arrested and charged, fell under its jurisdiction because part of the assassination plot was carried out in South Florida.

Three others have so far been sentenced to life in prison: Joseph Joel John, a former Haitian senator; Rodolphe Jaar, a businessman of Haitian and Chilean nationality; and another retired Colombian soldier.

Last month in Haiti, a judge indicted dozens of people over alleged involvement in Moise’s assassination, including his widow, a former prime minister and an ex-police chief, according to court documents seen by AFP.

Moise’s death plunged Haiti deeper into chaos. The Caribbean state was already prey to gang violence, but these days gangs control much of the capital Port-au-Prince, and the number of serious crimes has reached record levels.

Source: Newsroom & Agence France-Presse