Jean Henry Céant (born 27 September 1956) is a

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

an politician who was the twenty-first

Prime Minister of Haiti The prime minister of Haiti ( French: , ) is the head of government of Haiti. The office was created under the Constitution of 1987; previously, all executive power was held by the president or head of state, who appointed and chaired the Counc ...

. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government for his involvement in

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

violations and supporting criminal gangs on 17 November 2022.

Prime minister

Céant was chosen by President

Jovenel Moïse Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian politician and Businessperson, businessman who served as President of Haiti from 2017 until Assassination of Jovenel Moïse, his assassination in 2021. Moïse assumed the preside ...

to become

in August 2018. He was chosen to succeed Jack Guy Lafontant, who had resigned due to an economic crisis. Céant is a notary by profession and was a presidential candidate in 2016. Ceant also leads a political organization called Renmen Ayiti. On 18 March 2019, Céant's government was dissolved after a 93–6 vote of censuring the government and enacting a

motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...

Canadian Government Sanctions Against Céant

On 17 November 2022, the

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

imposed joint sanctions against Céant, former president

Michel Martelly Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who served as the 42nd president of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. On August 20, 2024, the United States sanctioned the former president for traffic ...

and former prime minister

Laurent Lamothe Laurent Salvador Lamothe (; 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 appoi ...

. The sanctions against Céant was a response to his allegedly involvement in "gross and systematic human rights violations in Haiti." Specifically Céant is accused of supporting violent armed gangs in Haiti that terrorize the population. A press release by the office of Canadian prime minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...

mentioned that Céant is "suspected of protecting and enabling the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceant, Jean-Henry 1956 births Living people Prime ministers of Haiti 21st-century Haitian politicians Politicians from Port-au-Prince