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Laurent Lamothe

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Laurent Lamothe
16th Prime Minister of Haiti
In office
16 May 2012 – 14 December 2014
PresidentMichel Martelly
Preceded byGarry Conille
Succeeded byFlorence Duperval Guillaume (acting)
Minister of Planning and External Cooperation
In office
6 August 2012 – 14 December 2014
Preceded byJosefa Gauthier
Succeeded byFlorence Duperval Guillaume (acting)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
24 October 2011 – 6 August 2012
Prime MinisterGarry Conille
Preceded byMarie-Michèle Rey
Succeeded byPierre-Richard Casimir
Personal details
Born
Laurent Salvador Lamothe

(1972-08-14) 14 August 1972 (age 52)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political partyIndependent
Alma materBarry University
St. Thomas University

Laurent Salvador Lamothe (French pronunciation: [lɔʁɑ̃ salvadɔʁ lamɔt]; born 14 August 1972) is a Haitian businessman, technology entrepreneur, and political figure who has served in the government of Haiti as Foreign Minister beginning in October 2011, then as Prime Minister after appointment on 4 May 2012.[1] On 14 December 2014, Lamothe resigned from his position as Prime Minister.[2] More recently Lamothe has publically spoken about the urgent need for the return of law and order in Haiti.

Early life

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Lamothe was born in Port-au-Prince as the son of Louis G. Lamothe, the founder of the Lope de Vega Institute, and Ghislaine Fortuney Lamothe, an artist. His elder brother, Ruben, served as captain of the Haitian Davis Cup tennis team for some time.[3] A tennis player himself, Laurent Lamothe represented his country at the Davis Cup in 1994 and 1995.

Education

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At age 19, Lamothe left Haiti to complete his tertiary studies in Florida. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in political sciences[4] at Barry University in Miami, in 1996 he enrolled in Saint Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he earned a master's degree in business management.[5]

Political career

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In 1998, Lamothe co-founded the telecommunications company Global Voice Group.[6]

Lamothe entered politics by accepting the position of Special Advisor to Haitian President Michel Martelly.[7] In September 2011, Lamothe and former United States President Bill Clinton co-chaired the Presidential Advisory Council for the Economic Development and Investment in Haiti launched by President Martelly on 8 September 2011 to help redevelop Haiti by making it more attractive to foreign companies and investors.[8] Later the same year, Lamothe was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 26 October 2011, he made his maiden speech as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs during his installation ceremony, which took place in Bois-Verna, Haiti.[9]

Prime minister

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On 1 March 2012, following the resignation of Prime Minister Garry Conille,[10] Martelly chose Lamothe to succeed him.[10] Lamothe was tasked with overseeing Haiti's reconstruction after the devastating 2010 earthquake.[11][12][13]

During Lamothe's tenure as Prime Minister, foreign direct investment increased to the highest level since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in the mid-1980s.[14] Under his leadership, the government pursued reforms that made Haiti a safer and more business-friendly country[15] with the implementation of a 15-year tax break[16] to companies investing in the island nation. He also pushed for an increase of the police force by 30 percent,[17] spearheaded the free education program,[18] and promoted good governance by tackling corruption.[19] During his tenure and according to a 2014 World Bank study, from 2012 to 2014, the number of people in extreme poverty in Haiti dropped from 31% to 24% thanks to the social program EDE PEP, which benefited two million people.[20]

On 14 December 2014, Lamothe resigned from his position as Prime Minister after serving for 31 months.[21][22]

Presidential campaign

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In 2015, hoping to succeed his former boss President Martelly, his candidacy for the upcoming presidential campaign was barred. Lawyers for the opposition party CEP declared that Lamothe lacked the required "discharge".[23] A requirement in the Haitian Constitution for government officials who were accountable for public monies, is to undergo an audit which reflects the Haitian state's assessment that government officials had properly accounted for the use public funds during their tenure in office.  Under the Haitian Constitution, a discharge is a prerequisite for former officials who seek to return to public office.[24] Lamothe was subjected to three audits conducted by the Cour Supérieure des Comptes et du Contentieux Administratif,[25] the authority responsible for controlling public expenditures in Haiti.  All the audit reports cleared Lamothe as having managed the public funds in a manner that was satisfactory to the auditors.[26]

Post-campaign

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In July 2015, Lamothe created LSL World Initiative, a private enterprise providing solutions to governments in implementing their own funding mechanisms to help them deliver sustainable development programs in line with their needs and priorities.[27]

In December 2015, Lamothe founded the Dr. Louis G. Lamothe Foundation in honour and memory of his father Louis G. Lamothe.[28] The Foundation will concentrate on the strategies to lead Haiti to emerging country status by 2041. After Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti, the Dr. Louis G. Lamothe Foundation has been working in Anse du Clerc to help the town recover from the damages. The Foundation aims to rehabilitate the fishing village and revive its economic activity by repairing the damaged houses and facilitating the acquisition of fishing equipment, among others. The Foundation also aims to make various seeds for agriculture available to the farmers.[29]

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On 20 November 2022, Lamothe was sanctioned by the Canadian government for his involvement in human rights violations and supporting criminal gangs.[30] Lamothe has denied allegations of money-laundering to help finance gangs, saying Ottawa had provided no evidence.[31] A press release by the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned that Lamothe is "suspected of protecting and enabling the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs.[32]

In a 21 November 2022 statement, Lamothe demanded a public apology from the Canadian government.[33][34] On 22 December, Lamothe filed a notice of application with Canada's Federal Court, arguing the sanctions were the result of an arbitrary decision and did not give Lamothe a chance to offer his side of the story.[35]

On June 02, 2023 the United States announced Lamothe was ineligible to return to the US citing the misappropriation of the PetroCaribe funds.[36] The US is yet to present proof to support the allegations.

The PetroCaribe funds refers to aid that came through the provision of discounted oil deliveries from Venezuela. In the wake of the earthquake, Haiti was supposed to use the assistance to help the country rebuild.

Lamothe has adamantly pushed back on the allegation, accusing the United States of falling for the “false narrative” of the Haitian political discourse that for years has sought to assassinate his character.[37]

Since taking office and after his resignation Lamothe's tenure as Prime Minister has undergone five comprehensive audits including a judicial decision that found no evidence supporting these allegations of misappropriated funds.[38]

Personal life

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In 2013, Lamothe dated Czech model Petra Němcová,[39] but as of 2015 they are no longer together.[40]

Awards and accolades

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In 2015 National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals Golden Honors Award for his work. He also received the Social Media Person of the Year award in 2015 by the Social Media Association of Haiti.[41] In March 2016, Lamothe was inducted to the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame 2016 for tennis.[42]

Lamothe has spoken about blockchain at the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos,[43] at the Transform Africa Summit,[44] and at the Berlin Economic Forum.[45]

He was the subject of a 2021 book, The Hands of the Prime Minister, by photojournalist Philip Holsinger.[46]

References

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  1. ^ "SNS-MCT Presidential Decree Names Lamothe Haiti Prime Minister". Chicago Tribune. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Haiti's Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigns after protests". BBC News. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Ruben Lamothe | Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Haitian Prime Minister Honored With Barry". Barry University. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Haiti – Politic : Laurent Lamothe, honored by two universities of Florida". HaitiLibre.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Home | Your regtech partner in compliance". Global Voice Group. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  7. ^ (in French) HL/Haïti Libre. "Haïti – Économie : Laurent Lamothe conseiller spécial du Président Martelly". Haïti Libre. 22 August 2011. Retrieved on 18 November 2011
  8. ^ "Laurent Lamothe and Former US President Bill Clinton to Co-Chair the Presidential Advisory Council for the Economic Development of Haiti" (Press release). Laurent Lamothe. PR Newswire. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Laurent Lamothe Makes His First Commitments as the New Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs" (Press release). Laurent Lamothe. PR Newswire. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Laurent Lamothe candidat designated for the position of Prime Minister". Haiti Libre. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  11. ^ "Five Years Later, See TIME's Coverage of the Haiti Earthquake". Time. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  12. ^ Padgett, Tim; Ferreira, Susana (12 January 2013). "Haiti Three Years After the Quake: There's Good News, Too". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  13. ^ Catherine Porter (12 January 2014). "Haitian earthquake: Daunting challenges remain four years after disaster". Toronto Star. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Two Years on, Haiti Turns a Page | IADB".
  15. ^ musajja (30 April 2012). "Haiti rising from the ashes – Construction of hotels". The Habari Network. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Incentives". cfihaiti.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Lamothe annonce l'acquisition d'armes pour la police". 14 June 2012.
  18. ^ "Haiti Raising Taxes to Fund Education | Jamaica Teachers' Association". jta.org.jm. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Haiti – Politic : Promulgation of the Law on the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption". HaitiLibre.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Extreme poverty drops in Haiti. Is it sustainable?". worldbank.org. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Haïti – FLASH : Démission de Laurent Lamothe et de ses ministres". HaitiLibre.com (in French). Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Haiti PM defends tenure after forced resignation". Associated Press News. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Haiti election council under fire for barring top presidential hopeful". Reuters. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Haiti 1987 (rev. 2012) Constitution – Constitute". constituteproject.org. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Cour Supérieure des Comptes et du contentieux administratif(CSCCA)". cscca.gouv.ht. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Haiti – FLASH : Laurent Lamothe counter-attack". HaitiLibre.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Home". lslwi.com.
  28. ^ "Haiti – Social : Laurent Lamothe create a foundation to fight against poverty and exclusion in Haiti". HaitiLibre.com. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  29. ^ "Dr Louis G. Lamothe Foundation | Knowledge for transformation". fondationlgl.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  30. ^ Kitroeff, Natalie; Isai, Vjosa (20 November 2022). "Canada Imposes Sanctions on Haiti's Former Leader and Other Officials". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  31. ^ Morrow, Adrian (30 November 2022). "Former Haitian PM sanctioned by Canada denies wrongdoing, says Ottawa provided no evidence". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  32. ^ Isaac, Harold; Ellsworth, Brian (20 November 2022). "Canada sanctions Haiti ex-President Martelly for financing gangs". Reuters. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe demands apology from Canada". CNW Network. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  34. ^ "Haiti – Sanctions : Laurent Lamothe demands an apology from Canada". HaitiLibre.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  35. ^ Dylan Robertson (22 December 2022). "Former Haiti PM Laurent Lamothe seeks to contest Canadian sanctions in Federal Court". Toronto Star. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  36. ^ "Designation of Laurent Salvador Lamothe – Former Haitian Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and External Cooperation – for Involvement in Significant Corruption". United States Department of State. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  37. ^ Charles, Jacqueline (2 June 2023). "U.S. sanctions ex-Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, says he 'misappropriated' $60 million". Miami Herald. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  38. ^ Shelton, Shania; Meilhan, Pierre; Dupain, Etant (3 June 2023). "State Department sanctions former Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe for corruption | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  39. ^ Linda Marx (6 May 2014). "Petra Nemcova: I'm 'Very Happy' Dating Laurent Lamothe". People. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  40. ^ Sontag, Deborah (29 May 2015). "An Award for Bill Clinton Came With $500,000 for His Foundation". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  41. ^ "Former Republic of Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe Receives NAAHP Golden Honors Award". PRWeb. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  42. ^ "Laurent Salvador Lamothe One of the Sunshine State's 2016 Inductees". PRWeb. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  43. ^ Disparte, Dante. "One Thing Is Clear From Davos, Blockchain Is Out Of Beta". Forbes. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  44. ^ "Laurent Lamothe, Distinguished Entrepreneur and Champion of Socio-economic Development Through IFD in Emerging Countries Speaks at the Transform Africa Summit 2017". PRWeb. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  45. ^ "Former Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe, Invited as a Speaker to the 2018 Berlin Economic Forum". PRWeb. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  46. ^ "The Untold Story of a Haitian Entrepreneur Who Accidentally Became Prime Minister, Then Helped Rebuild the Country in 932 Days". PRWeb. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2011–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Haiti
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
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