Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella has offered legal assistance to a group of Colombian military veterans who were arrested over the 2021 killing of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella offered legal assistance Tuesday to a group of Colombian military veterans who were arrested over the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and recently extradited from the Caribbean country to Florida after their case languished for years. In a message on X, the Colombian leader said his government will provide economic support to the families of the 17 Colombian suspects, who are expected to face trial in Florida. He also said he had ordered Colombia’s ministries of justice and defense to provide them with legal support.
Three Colombians were killed in clashes after the killing, while the other 17 were arrested in Haiti. Another Colombian veteran, Mario Antonio Palacios, escaped from Haiti but was later extradited to Florida, where he was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping. In May, an additional four defendants, including a Venezuelan American businessman and a Haitian-American citizen, were convicted of financing and organizing the plot to kill Moïse, whose assassination has been followed by years of political instability and gang violence in the poor Caribbean nation.
The 17 Colombians now held in Florida are among 30 people charged in federal court in the U.S. with crimes in connection with the assassination, including a former Haitian official currently on trial. Federal prosecutors in the U.S. say South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust Moïse and replace him with someone of the conspirators’ choosing. During hearings with judges in Haiti, some of the Colombian suspects said they had been deceived by recruiters, who lured them to Haiti by telling them they would be providing security for politicians in that country.
The Colombian suspects have also claimed they were tortured in Haitian prisons and were forced to sign legal document s in a language they did not understand. De la Espriella, who was sworn into office in August, has portrayed himself as a staunch supporter of Colombia’s armed forces. In his message on X, he backed the Colombian veterans now being held in Florida.
Last year, former President Gustavo Petro apologized to Haiti’s government for the alleged involvement of the Colombian veterans in the assassination. Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
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