Florida pastor on trial for role in Haitian president’s assassination

A Haitian pastor accused of conspiring in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise is set to face trial in Miami, the Reuters news agency reported. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 67, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and could receive a life sentence if convicted. Sanon was arrested in Haiti days after the murder, discovered by police with weapons and passports.

The July 7, 2021, attack occurred when armed men stormed Moise's home near Port-au-Prince. Moise's widow, Martine Moise, who survived the attack, is expected to testify. Sanon, among many suspects including former Colombian soldiers, faces charges of involvement in the assassination allegedly organized and financed in South Florida where he lived intermittently since the 2000s.

Born in Haiti, Sanon studied medicine in the Dominican Republic before moving to Florida. He has been accused of recruiting participants in the plot and aiming to become Haiti's president after Moise's removal. Prosecutors allege Sanon aimed to install a new government and secure lucrative state contracts. His lawyers claim he had ambitions for the presidency but deny knowledge of the assassination plan.

The conspiracy reportedly stemmed from political and financial motives, including securing state contracts, and was linked to tensions between Moise and figures involved in drug and arms trafficking. The assassination has exacerbated Haiti's political instability, allowing gangs to gain control over much of the country. US authorities have charged 30 more suspects and transferred 18 Haitian defendants to the US for trial.

Haiti is set to hold its first presidential election in a decade in December, but ongoing gang violence and corruption threaten the legitimacy of the vote.