(Reuters) – The United States and Canada said on Friday they were imposing sanctions on two Haitian politicians, including the president of the country’s Senate, over what Canada described as their operational support for armed gangs.
The sanctions target Haitian Senate President Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue, who served as president of the chamber from 2017-2018.
“Canada has reason to believe these individuals are using their status as previous or current public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption,” the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement the two men had engaged in activities that have contributed to the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.
There was no immediate comment from Haiti on the sanctions.
Canada’s foreign ministry did not identify which Haitian gangs it believed the two officials were helping support. The sanctions are intended to stop the flow of funds and weapons to the gangs, the foreign ministry said.
Canada will consider further sanctions against individuals and entities “to pressure those responsible for the violence and insecurity in Haiti,” it added.
(Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
