Thousands of Haitians took to the streets of Port-au-Prince and other cities in early February 2019, reigniting protests that had begun months earlier over the alleged misuse of PetroCaribe funds. The renewed demonstrations followed the release of a report from the Haitian Senate’s court of auditors detailing how billions of dollars from Venezuela’s cut-rate oil program had been allegedly siphoned off by government officials and private contractors.
The PetroCaribe program, which allowed Caribbean nations to purchase Venezuelan oil at reduced prices with payments deferred over time, had generated hundreds of millions of dollars intended for Haiti’s development. The Senate report accused dozens of officials and business figures of embezzlement, naming several prominent figures connected to the Jovenel Moïse administration.
Protesters carried signs reading “Kot Kòb PetroCaribe a?” — “Where is the PetroCaribe money?” — a slogan that had become the rallying cry of Haiti’s anti-corruption movement. Clashes between demonstrators and police were reported in several neighborhoods of the capital.
President Moïse defended his record and denied personal wrongdoing, but the protests showed no sign of abating as opposition leaders called for his resignation and a full independent investigation.