This Thursday, September 7, a former retired Colombian officer German Rivera (44 years old) alias "Mike" one of the key suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021 in his residence hhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html , arrested in Haiti and transferred to the USA will plead guilty in federal court in Florida, reveals the New York Times.

While he had pleaded not guilty to the crime on first appearance, today, facing the possibility of a life sentence, he decided to plead guilty to the charges. Rivera, 45, is accused by American justice of having recruited and organized a commando which committed the assassination of the Haitian Head of State.

The acceptance of the charges is a big step forward in the case, underline the legal experts consulted, because they hope that Rivera will cooperate with justice and testify against his co-defendants. Criminal lawyer Iván Cancino explains "[...] admitting guilt and cooperating with the investigation may result in a less severe sentence or less strict detention conditions."

For Juan David Bazzani, criminal lawyer from the Externado de Colombia University agrees and explains that Rivera's decision to accept the charges indicates that "Cooperating requires accepting to have participated and organized the operation. This makes him the most important witness for the prosecution."

Let's recall that in June 2023 another member of the conspiracy, Haitian-Chilean Rodolphe Jaar, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39685-haiti-flash-rodolphe-jaar-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-in-the-usa-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html for the assassination of President Moïse. The prosecution ruled that he had conspired to "commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and provide material support resulting in death" and that he "was responsible for supplying weapons to members of the commando to facilitate the completion of the operation.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39685-haiti-flash-rodolphe-jaar-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-in-the-usa-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

Read about the assassination of President Moïse (links) :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36347-haiti-flash-former-colombian-soldier-mario-antonio-palacios-pleads-not-guilty-in-the-usa.html

SL/ HaitiLibre