Canada Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly Sunday announced additional sanctions on Haitian “political elites,” including Michel Joseph Martelly, who provide operational and financial support to armed gangs in Haiti. The sanctions impose dealings prohibitions on the listed persons and freeze any assets in Canada that they hold.

The sanctions are imposed in accordance with the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations. and are intended to “stop the flow of illicit funds and weapons” in a bid to weaken Haiti’s criminal gangs. The listed individuals, who are previous public office holders, allegedly engage in money laundering and corruption, protecting and enabling illegal activity within the country. The list comprises of six individuals including Martelly, Rony Célestin, Hervé Fourcand, Gary Bodea, Laurent Salvador Lamothe and Jean-Henry Ceant.

Joly states that Canada will continue to “put pressure on armed guards and their supporters” in efforts to aid Haiti and prevent human rights abuses, and Canada will “consider additional sanctions against individuals and entities in Haiti [to] end the ongoing violence.”