Overview:
Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s July 18 visit to Haiti, officially focused on bilateral security and cooperation, has revived questions about behind-the-scenes efforts to free 17 Colombian nationals accused in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The visit’s timing—two days after appellate hearings closed—and Petro’s sudden departure without comment or ceremony have triggered widespread suspicion among Haitians and legal observers.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s July 18 visit to Haiti reignited speculation that negotiations may involve freeing the 17 Colombian ex-soldiers charged in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. His arrival came just two days after the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal concluded hearings on the defendants—a timing that has left many Haitians confused and suspicious.
Petro landed in Port-au-Prince for what was billed as a two-day trip focused—according to the Colombian presidency— on strengthening ties in security, trade, education and cooperation in combating illicit traffic of narcotics. He inaugurated a Colombian embassy and offered Colombian police training for Haitian forces—an announcement welcomed amid surging gang violence, which the United Nations (UN) estimates has killed nearly 4,900 people since October and displaced 1.3 million Haitians.
It remains unclear whether the issue of releasing the Colombians jailed in Haiti for their alleged role in the assassination of the Haitian president came up. But like his first visit to Jacmel in January 2025, the Colombian president’s latest trip — this time to Port-au-Prince, where 85% of the city is gang-controlled — has revived questions about whether he is quietly pushing for their release.
“A new chapter of cooperation and unity between Colombia and Haiti begins,” said the Colombian president on X. “Colombia and Haiti will always unite their flags in the name of human freedom.”
“It’s the ruling that will decide that. We have to wait for this ruling, which will appoint another investigating judge, and it will be up to that judge to determine who may be released.”
Rocky Pierre, representative of the Port-au-Prince prosecutor’s office
Yet, after a brief bilateral meeting, he departed the same day—skipping a planned press conference with Transitional Presidential Council head Fritz Alphonse Jean and a formal reception—raising red flags locally.
Officials cited weather forecasts as the reason for the shortened visit. But with no official explanation, speculation has grown on social media about why President Petro’s meeting ended early. Many questioned whether his visit was tied to the fate of the Colombian nationals accused in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The timing has raised eyebrows, coming just after the conclusion of the appellate hearings to determine whether the case will go to trial or a verdict will be issued directly.
Haitians continue to speak out
Social media amplified these doubts: “Could there be some kind of arrangement underway to free the Colombians?” asked Cenès Joseph from Haitian Info TV, one X user. Another, Michael Dorceus, said: “They’re playing us just to release the Colombians. The year won’t end before they’re freed,”—echoing public unease.
“We all know that a team of Colombians assassinated the Haitian president in his home on July 7, 2021. Isn’t it because they are imprisoned in Haiti that these visits are happening?” Joseph added.
Eguens Charles, another social media user, is urging Haitians to stay alert as the Colombian president continues his visits to Haiti.
“Watch above, watch below, people, so these thieves don’t free the Colombians. That’s what they’re trying to do,” Charles wrote on Facebook.
“These people have no respect for us. Colombians were hired to kill the president, and now they are involved in negotiations about the country’s security,” said Gracienne Jeune Cinna. “You’re mocking Haitians. Free your men, the game is over.”
The prosecutor’s office, represented by magistrate Rocky Pierre, emphasized that only a judge can authorize releases. “We have to wait for the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which will appoint another investigating judge,” he told The Haitian Times, attempting to cool off the heat.
Rodler Bastien, a resident of Pétion-Ville who has been living under gang attacks since last week, says he does not understand President Gustavo Petro’s repeated visits to Haiti in less than a year. Like many other Haitians, he questions the real reason for these visits, especially as the judiciary is trying to move forward with the assassination case.
“Isn’t this part of a maneuver being planned to secure the release of the Colombians involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse?” Bastien asked in an interview with The Haitian Times.
Regional cooperation and historical ties
After Judge Walter Wesser Voltaire’s initial indictment, the case passed through five judges and is now before the appellate court. The prosecution has called for a new judge and a fresh inquiry, citing procedural flaws.
The prosecution is also seeking U.S. and Canadian assistance to interview overseas witnesses, including key suspects like former CTU Security head Antonio “Tony” Intriago, ex–Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as well as former First Lady Martine Moïse, Marie Etienne Joseph, the slain president’s children Joverlein and Jomarlie Moïse, former police chief Léon Charles, and others.
Meanwhile, Petro’s repeated visits also highlight Colombia’s long-standing support for Haiti. Since the early 19th century, Haiti has aided Colombia’s independence, a legacy recalled in previous visits. In January, Petro apologized for Colombia’s involvement in the assassination plot and pledged renewed solidarity during a trip to Jacmel.
The Haitian government spent over $3.8 million for Gustavo Petro’s visit, during which he apologized for Colombia’s role in Moïse’s assassination and pledged stronger bilateral cooperation.
This time, Petro promised security training and police support amid Haiti’s deepening crisis. But his abrupt departure, combined with a lack of transparency, has left the purpose of his mission in doubt.
While Haiti’s judicial system stalls, six people have already been convicted and sentenced in the U.S. Among them, two are Colombians: Germán Alejando Rivera García and Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios. Additionally, a Colombian-American former agent, Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, is listed among five other defendants who are awaiting trial, scheduled for March 2026.