Murder Mystery: What Were Colombian Military Vets Doing in Haiti? [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

At least 20 Colombians have been implicated by Haitian officials in the plot to assassinate the president. But their role in the killing, if any, is murky.



Weapons, communication devices and documents seized by Haitian police in connection to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti. Credit...Estailove St-Val/Reuters

By Julie Turkewitz and Simon Romero
July 11, 2021, 7:56 p.m. ET

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — One evening in early June, Mauricio Javier Romero, a decorated 20-year veteran of the Colombian military, received a call from an old army buddy.

The friend wanted to recruit him for a job — “legal” and “safe” work that would send him abroad, according to Mr. Romero’s wife, Giovanna Romero.

“This person told him that he wouldn’t get in trouble,” she said, “that it was a good opportunity for professional growth, for economic growth — and knowing what a quality professional my husband was, he wanted him to be part of the team.”

A month later, Mr. Romero, 45, is dead, one of several men killed in Haiti in the aftermath of the assassination last week of President Jovenel Moïse, and one of at least 20 Colombians implicated by Haitian officials in a murder that has plunged the Caribbean nation into chaos.

More:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/world/americas/haiti-colombian-mercenaries.html

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