The Haitian people gain a symbolic victory, but the full truth remains out of reach.
Politics | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | July 3, 2025
In a major development tied to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Haitian-American Joseph Vincent has been sentenced to life in prison by a federal court in Miami. His sentencing marks the first high-profile conviction on U.S. soil related to one of the most shocking political killings in the Caribbean’s recent history.
Vincent, a former DEA informant and one of eleven individuals arrested in connection with the assassination plot, pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiring to murder and kidnap President Moïse. His admission detailed how he and co-conspirators—including Colombian mercenaries and other Haitian-Americans—were involved in the planning and execution of the deadly attack on July 7, 2021.
“The hope was for a political transition, but the plan turned lethal — and Vincent remained a willing participant until the end,” stated U.S. prosecutors during the trial.
Vincent’s role was instrumental. Fluent in both English and Haitian Creole, he served as a translator and liaison between the mercenaries and the broader team. He was among the few with deep knowledge of Haiti’s terrain, law enforcement routines, and power players.
A Partial Victory for Justice
While many hail the life sentence as a long-overdue moment of justice, the broader Haitian public remains cautious.
Yes, this is a symbolic victory — but it is also incomplete.
“The people of Haiti do not want a single scapegoat. They want the entire web of conspirators held accountable — from the foot soldiers to the intellectual authors,” said one Port-au-Prince resident outside the courthouse.
The key architects of the assassination — those who financed, coordinated, and politically benefited from President Moïse’s death — have yet to be identified or prosecuted. Many of them are suspected to be living comfortably in Haiti, the U.S., and Colombia, far from the grip of justice.
The Unanswered Questions
The investigation into Moïse’s murder has been marred by delays, political manipulation, and jurisdictional confusion between Haitian and international authorities. Despite several arrests in Haiti, the masterminds remain elusive. Vincent’s conviction has not led to the kind of breakthroughs many hoped it would.
“This is not the win the Haitian people are searching for — because true justice means exposing and convicting those at the top of the chain,” notes a Haitian Pulse analyst.
For many, the pain remains raw. Jovenel Moïse, though a polarizing figure in Haitian politics, was assassinated in his home, gunned down while his wife was gravely wounded beside him. His murder represented a brazen attack on the Haitian state — one that still sends shockwaves across the diaspora and beyond.
The message from the streets of Haiti is clear: until the intellectual authors are named, tried, and punished, justice is not served.
“We are not fooled by symbolic victories. We want the truth — and we want the power behind the assassination dismantled,” says a civil rights activist in Cap-Haïtien.
Final Thought
Joseph Vincent’s life sentence may close one chapter, but the book on Jovenel Moïse’s assassination is still wide open. True justice will only be achieved when the full architecture of this conspiracy is exposed and dismantled. The Haitian people deserve no less.
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