Branded a “Gang Boss” by the UN, Youri Latortue Applauds Nayib Bukele’s Intervention in Haiti. The Irony!

Sanctioned internationally for his alleged role in financing and backing armed groups, former Artibonite senator Youri Latortue is now publicly cheering on Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s operations in Haiti. It is a paradoxical stance, to say the least, from a politician whose name appears in several international reports alongside the criminal networks fueling insecurity in the country. The irony is all the sharper given that Bukele embodies a hard line against gangs — the very gangs the former lawmaker is accused of helping to expand.

International sanctions and documented allegations

The allegations are not new, nor do they rest solely on political rivalries. In November 2022, the United States and Canada sanctioned Youri Latortue, accusing him in particular of using his political influence to protect and facilitate the activities of criminal groups. In its report S/2023/674, published in September 2023, the UN Panel of Experts cited his alleged financing and arming of the Raboteau gang, as well as his ties to Kokorat San Ras. Report S/2024/704 also addresses his alleged use of these groups to preserve his political and economic influence in the Artibonite.

On December 15, 2025, the European Union in turn added the former senator to its sanctions list, accusing him of arming and financing the Raboteau and Kokorat San Ras gangs to serve his political and personal interests. Youri Latortue rejects these allegations and disputes the findings of the international bodies. Yet the fact that several international partners have reached the same conclusions raises serious questions that his denials alone cannot answer. His public support for Nayib Bukele’s security policy cannot, therefore, erase the grave allegations hanging over him.

Fighting gangs means confronting their political networks

Fighting gangs is not just about hunting down gunmen in the streets and poor neighborhoods. It also means dismantling the political, economic and financial networks that feed them, arm them and use them as instruments of power. One cannot demand zero tolerance for gangsters while sidestepping the question of their possible godfathers in suits and ties. Before applauding the crackdown on gangs, Youri Latortue might do better to answer the international allegations against him. In Haiti, the fight against insecurity cannot be credible unless it also targets those accused of being its architects. The irony!

Translated from the original French by the Hebdo24 newsroom.