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Michel Martelly

Michel Joseph Martelly[1] (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl ʒozɛf maʁtɛli]; born 12 February 1961[2]) is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016.

Michel Martelly
42nd President of Haiti
In office
14 May 2011 – 7 February 2016
Prime MinisterJean-Max Bellerive
Garry Conille
Laurent Lamothe
Florence Duperval Guillaume (acting)
Evans Paul
Preceded byRené Préval
Succeeded byJocelerme Privert (interim)
Personal details
Born
Michel Joseph Martelly

(1961-02-12) 12 February 1961 (age 63)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political partyRepons Peyizan
Spouses
  • First wife (until 1986; divorced)
Sophia Saint-Rémy
(m. 1987)
Children4, including Olivier
WebsiteOfficial website
Musical career
GenresCompas
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)
Years active
  • 1988–2011
  • 2016–present

Martelly was one of Haiti's best-known musicians for over a decade, going by the stage name Sweet Micky. For business and musical reasons, Martelly has moved a number of times between the United States and Haiti. When travelling to the United States, Martelly mostly stays in Florida. After his presidency, Martelly returned to his former band and sang a carnival méringue entitled "Bal Bannann nan" (Give Her the Banana), as a mocking response to Liliane Pierre Paul, a famous Haitian female journalist in Port-au-Prince.[3]

As a singer and keyboardist, "Sweet Micky" is known for his Konpa music, a style of Haitian dance music sung predominantly in the Haitian Creole language, but he blended this with other styles. Martelly popularized a "new generation" of compas with smaller bands relying on synthesizers and electronic instruments. From 1989 to 2008, Martelly recorded over a dozen studio albums and a number of live CDs. As a musician and club owner in Haiti in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Martelly became associated with the neo-Duvalierist Haitian military and police, including figures such as police chief Michel François, and he agreed with the 1991 Haitian coup d'état against Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 1995, after Aristide had been restored to office, Martelly's name appeared on a hit list of coup supporters, and he stayed away from Haiti for almost a year. During this time, he released a song, "Prezidan" (on the album Pa Manyen), "an exuberant ditty that called for a president who played compas".[4] However, he did not run for political office until 2010, when he became a candidate for President of Haiti.

After the catastrophic earthquake, Martelly won the 2010–11 Haitian general election for his party Repons Peyizan (Farmers' Response Party), after a run-off against candidate Mirlande Manigat. Martelly had come in third in the first round of the election, until the Organization of American States forced Jude Célestin to withdraw due to alleged fraud. Martelly assumed his position of the President of Haiti on 14 May 2011 after René Préval retired to his home in Marmelade. His election campaign included a promise to reinstate the nation's military, which had been abolished in the 1990s by Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He resigned as president in February 2016. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government, which accuses him of involvement in human rights violations and supporting criminal gangs, on 17 November 2022.[5]

For the political scientist Frédéric Thomas, the accession to power of Michel Martelly in 2011 marked the beginning of a "form of legal banditry" and constitutes a key step in the process of decay of the Haitian state.[6]

Early life edit

Martelly was born in Côtes-de-Fer, the son of Gerard Martelly, a Shell Oil executive and Marie Madeleine Martelly (née De Pradines, b. 1931 – d. 21 October 2016).[7][8][2][9] On his mother's side, his grandfather Auguste de Pradines was a troubadour[10] who wrote comic protest songs against the 1915–34 United States occupation of Haiti.[4] After graduating from high school at the Institution Saint Louis de Gonzague, Martelly enlisted in the Haitian Military Academy, but (according to Martelly) was expelled after impregnating the daughter of a general.[2] In 1984, he moved to the United States, and worked in construction and briefly attended a community college in Miami.[2] In 1986, after one semester, he divorced his first wife, an American citizen, and returned to Haiti just as Jean-Claude Duvalier, then president-for-life, was heading into exile.[11] In 1987, Martelly returned to Miami with his then-girlfriend, Sophia Saint-Rémy,[4][12] whom he later married in a small ceremony in Miami, Florida.[citation needed] They returned to Haiti in 1988.[4]

Upon his return to Haiti, Martelly had his first breakthrough in the music industry when he began playing keyboard as a fill-in musician in local venues in Pétion-Ville and Kenscoff, upscale suburbs of Port-au-Prince.[4][13] Martelly "sang playful, romantic numbers over a slow méringue beat called compas, the only music allowed under the Duvaliers."[2] After the 1991 Haitian coup d'état saw the expulsion of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, "Martelly opened a Pétion-Ville club called the Garage, where he entertained many of the coup's main architects, including the much-feared chief of national police, Michel François, later convicted in absentia for massacring Aristide supporters."[2]

Music edit

Martelly has been heralded as a pioneer of a unique genre of compas, a style of Haitian dance music sung predominantly in the Haitian Creole language. Originally, compas, was the creation of Nemours Jean-Baptiste. Martelly, a keyboardist and the self-proclaimed "President of Compas," popularized a nouvelle génération, or "new generation" style, of smaller bands with few members that relied predominantly on synthesizers and electronic instruments to reproduce a fuller sound. Martelly's live performances and recordings are sometimes laced with physical humor and humorous sociopolitical commentaries and satires. Although he is the most recognized musician and public personality in Haiti, Martelly's performance style has sometimes ignited controversy throughout Haitian communities.

Recording career edit

By 1988, Martelly's musical talent, stage craft, and his pattering style of compas had gained tremendous popularity at El Rancho Hotel and Casino and The Florville, another local venues. That year, he recorded his first single, "Ou La La", which became an instant hit, followed by "Konpas 'Foret des Pins'" in 1989, also from his debut album Ou La La. During the period of about 1988–2008 Martelly, using his stage name Sweet Micky, recorded fourteen studio albums and a number of live CDs. His music features slow méringue, compas, troubadour, carnival méringue, rabòday, etc.

In 1997, Martelly's crossover appeal to other musical genres was evident when hip hop star, Wyclef Jean of The Fugees featured him on the title track for Jean's solo effort Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival featuring the Refugee Allstars. As Jean proclaims on 'The Carnival,' "Surprise – it's Sweet Micky, y'all!" Also in 1997, Martelly released an album containing one of his most celebrated hits, Pa Manyen ("Don't Touch"). The song is an adaptation of "Angola", composed by the renowned artist/composer/record producer Ramiro Mendes (of the Mendes Brothers), first recorded by Cesária Évora, the legendary Cape Verdean singer. Pa Manyen went on to be featured in various compilation albums, including the popular Putumayo Presents: French Caribbean in 2003. The song was also covered by Venezuelan singer, Soledad Bravo as "Canta, Canta Corazon" and by Jose Luiz Cortes of Cuba. See also the Mendes Brothers' original version of the song, performed by Ramiro Mendes included in the group's 1997 album—Para Angola Com Um Xi Coracao. Martelly is also notorious for his cursing on stage, cross-dressing as well as using homophobic slurs. His celebrity status as a popular compas musician would become a major factor in his popularity as a politician.[14]

Political career edit

In 1992, Martelly played for free at a protest against the arrival of a UN representative charged with negotiating the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état.[2] Martelly later explained "I did not want Aristide back... You want me to be a de facto [supporter of the coup]. I'm a de facto. It's my right. It's my country. I can fight for whatever I believe in."[2] After Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been restored to office, some former military officers, paramilitaries and secret police associated with the old regime were assassinated. In February 1995, a "hit list" of such individuals was circulated, and included Martelly's name. After an individual on the list was murdered, Martelly's wife warned him not to come back from his tour, and it was almost a year before he returned to Haiti.[4] During this time he released a song, Prezidan, "an exuberant ditty that called for a president who played compas".[4] At the 1996 Carnival, to which Manno Charlemagne, the mayor of Port-au-Prince, invited him, Martelly dressed in a pink wig and bra.[4] As Martelly explained, it was intended in part as a political statement:

"If you see me as a Macoute, then I'm a Macoute. If you see me as gay, I'm gay. What you think of me is no problem, as far as I am concerned. You have the right to think what you want. I know who I am, and that's the main thing."[4]

In 1997, Martelly participated in "Knowledge Is Power", an HIV educational music video with a message about preventing the spread of HIV. His humanitarian work as the president of the Fondation Rose et Blanc, created by his wife Sophia and himself, to help the poor and disenfranchised of the country, was the basis for his choice as the Good Will Haitian Ambassador for the Protection of the Environment by the Haitian Government.

In 2004, following the 2004 Haitian coup d'état against Aristide, Gérard Latortue, a friend of Martelly's, became Prime Minister.[2] At this time, Martelly was living in Florida but in 2007, he moved back to Haiti. In the process, when the mortgage/financial sector crashed, he defaulted on more than $1m in loans, losing 3 properties to foreclosure.[2]

Following the 2010 earthquake, Martelly ran for President of Haiti in the general elections. He benefited from his celebrity status as a musician, and held musical rallies called koudjay (musical political endorsement rallies), drawing crowds and media attention.[14] He also benefited from the support of Bill Clinton (UN Special Envoy to Haiti) and the active support of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.[15] He challenged the results as to whether he placed second, making the runoff, or third. On 3 February 2011, it was announced that he would participate in a run-off election scheduled for 20 March 2011.[16] On 4 April 2011, a senior official announced that Martelly had won the presidential run-off election against candidate Mirlande Manigat with more than 60% of the vote.[17]

Presidency edit

 
Martelly meets with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in Madrid, 7 July 2011

After the devastating earthquake, Martelly was sworn in as President of Haiti on 14 May 2011, marking the first time in Haitian history that an incumbent president peacefully transferred power to a member of the opposition. On the anniversary of the earthquake, the incumbent Haitian Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, resigned to allow Martelly to choose his own Prime Minister.[18] Martelly was quick to pledge reforms for the post-earthquake reconstruction process.[19]

In August 2011, Martelly announced a plan to reinstate the nation's military. This plan was controversial as many human rights activists were concerned about the return of a military responsible for many atrocities in the past.[20]

In September 2011, Martelly formed an advisory board that included business executives, bankers, and politicians such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, which he hoped would improve the economy.[21]

In February 2012, Martelly's Prime Minister Garry Conille resigned after having been in office five months. He was replaced in May by Laurent Lamothe, the Haitian Foreign Minister.

Between March and April 2012, Martelly was accused of corruption, with allegations that during and after the 2010 earthquake and presidential election, he had accepted $2.6 million in bribes to ensure that a Dominican Republic construction company would continue to receive contracts under his presidency. Martelly denied the allegations.[22] Companies owned or controlled by Félix Bautista had received no-bid contracts worth $200 million, awarded by former Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.[23] In October 2013, Martelly met with a Franco-Polish arms dealer Pierre Dadak and two Canadian businessmen to discuss a $20 billion plan to develop Île-à-Vache, a plan which came to nothing, but has the source of some controversy.[24] In November 2013, anti-government protests were held in the country over the high cost of living and corruption.[25]

Mid-term Senate elections had been originally due in May 2012, while the municipal poll was three years behind schedule. They were again postponed on 26 October 2014—the day they were due to be held—because of an ongoing stalemate between the government and a group of opposition senators over an electoral law. The Haitian government faced months of protests over the delayed elections. Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned on 14 December and was replaced by Evans Paul. But street protests continued, with renewed calls for the president's resignation.

On 13 January 2015, the parliament was dissolved after its term expired and four days later, thousands of protesters in Port-au-Prince again demanded the president's resignation. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. Martelly urged protesters to respect public order and said he had reached a deal with the opposition to form a consensus government within the next 48 hours.[26] New election dates were announced in March 2015, both for parliament and for president. Martelly was ineligible to run again as Haiti's constitution does not allow for consecutive terms.[27]

On 9 August 2015, the first election Haiti had under President Michel Martelly took place. The citizens voted in the first round to fill two-thirds of the 30-member Senate and the entire 119-member Chamber of Deputies. In the capital, groups of young men ripped up paper ballots as heavily armed police shot into the air to re-establish order. Rocks were thrown in response before authorities closed the polling station. Local media reported the closure of numerous polling places in other parts of the country and scattered arrests of people accused of voting more than once. 54 polling stations, roughly 5 percent of the total, were closed amid violence and other disruptions. The first round of Haiti's presidential election was scheduled for 25 October 2015.[28]

Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 25 October 2015, alongside local elections and the second round of the legislative elections.[29] The runoff of this election were scheduled for 27 December 2015.[30] According to preliminary results posted by the Provisional Electoral Council, Jovenel Moïse obtained 32.81% of the preferences, and Jude Célestin won 25.27%.[31]

After the preliminary results were published on 25 October 2015, Jude Célestin said he did not recognize them. His criticism was joined by five other presidential candidates. They issued a joint statement denouncing the results as "anti-democratic" and called for the people's vote to be respected. Martelly openly declared his support for Moïse.[32] The supporters of Célestin protested in the streets, together with the supporters of Jean-Charles Moïse's Platfom Pitit Desalin and supporters of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party the presidential candidate of which, Maryse Narcisse, finished fourth behind Jean-Charles Moïse and also denounced the results during a news conference. The protesters threw rocks and burned tires. The police responded with tear gas and made some arrests. The police also stopped and searched the vehicle of a former top government prosecutor, Claudy Gassant, who is a supporter of Moïse.[33]

Martelly resigned the presidency on 10 February 2016, leaving Haiti without a president for a week. On 17 February 2016, he was succeeded by Jocelerme Privert who served as interim president.[34][35] Amid allegations of fraud in the 2015 elections, Privert created a month-long verification commission to restore legitimacy to the electoral process. In May 2016, the commission audited ~13,000 ballots and determined that the elections had been dishonest and recommended a complete redo of the election.[36][37]

In 2015, Pras of the Fugees completed a documentary entitled Sweet Micky for President and directed by Ben Patterson.[38] The film chronicles the rise of Martelly through his election to fight corruption as President of Haiti.[39] The film had its World premiere at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival[40] and later appeared on Showtime.[41]

Canadian Government Sanctions Against Martelly edit

On 17 November 2022, the Government of Canada imposed joint sanctions against Martelly and former Prime Ministers Laurent Lamothe and Jean Henry Ceant. The sanctions against Martelly was a response to his allegedly involvement in "gross and systematic human rights violations in Haiti." Specifically Martelly is accused of supporting violent armed gangs in Haiti that terrorize the population.[42][43][44] A "tormented" Martelly was seen returning to Haiti from Miami 24 hours before the sanctions were publicly announced, traveling with nine pieces of luggage.[45]

A press release by the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned that Martelly is "suspected of protecting and enabling the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs.[46]

Personal life and later music career edit

Martelly divorced his first wife, an American citizen, in 1986.[11]

Martelly has a brother, Girard, who served in the United States Armed Forces.

It is believed that Martelly currently[when?] lives in Haiti, but held several homes in Palm Beach, Florida. He lives[when?] with his wife and former manager, Sophia Saint–Rémy, and their four children, Olivier, Sandro, Yani, and Malaika.[47] In 2006, Martelly announced his unofficial retirement from recording and performing, but two years later announced a return to music with a new single, Magouyè, and the video/short film, "Bandi Legal yo ki rive". He is a cousin of Port-au-Prince hotel manager and musician Richard Morse.[48]

In April 2012, Martelly was flown to the United States for treatment of what was later diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism.[1] It was attributed to the immobilisation of his arm necessitated by recent shoulder surgery.[49]

Discography edit

Title Released Type Label as...
Woule Woule 1989 Studio Geronimo Michel Martelly
Anba Rad La 1990 Studio AP Michel Martelly
The Sweetest 1992 Studio Josy Michel Martelly
Min Koze-A 1993 Studio Josy Michel Martelly
I Don't Care 1994 Studio Josy Michel Martelly
Pa Manyen 1995 Studio Josy Michel Martelly
Tout Cé Mately 1996 Studio Déclic Michel Martelly
Aloufa 1997 Studio Antilles Michel Martelly
Best of Sweet Micky 1997 Compilation Déclic Sweet Micky
100.000 Volts 1998 Studio Mini Records Michel Martelly
An Bolewo 1998 Live Anson Sweet Micky
Dènye Okazyon 1999 Studio Geronimo Michel Martelly
Jojo Ban'm Nouvel Micky 1999 Live Exit Michel Martelly
100% KaKa 1999 Live Mad Dog Sweet Micky
Michel Martelly Live 2000 Live Créon Sweet Micky
SiSiSi 2001 Studio Créon Michel Martelly
Live au café des arts: Vol. 2 2001 Live Geronimo Sweet Micky
200% KaKa 2001 Studio/Live Mad Dog Sweet Micky
Rale Kow La ???? Live Geronimo Sweet Micky
400% KaKa 2002 Live Mad Dog Sweet Micky
Live at Best Western 2002 Live Geronimo Sweet Micky
Best of Michel Martelly 2002 Compilation Créon Michel Martelly
Totot 2003 Studio AD Sweet Micky
Micky Chez Lui (Micky Bolero 2) 2003 Exit Sweet Micky
Sweet Micky Live 2003 Live Geronimo Sweet Micky
New Repertoire 2004 Live Exit Sweet Micky
Babaille Micky Mix 2004 Exit Sweet Micky
GNB 2005 Studio D-Facto Sweet Micky
Sweet Micky with Robert Martino: Live Vol. 1 2005 Live Touche Douce Sweet Micky
Sweet Micky with Robert Martino: Live Vol. 1 2005 Live Touche Douce Sweet Micky
Micky ap Trip 2005 Live Exit Sweet Micky
Sweet Micky & Djakout: Live 2006 2006 Live Feeling Sweet Micky
Jojo Ban'm Nouvel Micky 2006 Live Exit Michel Martelly
Sweet Micky vs Dega 2007 Live Arnold Sweet Micky
Live in Miami (Ouvè Kôw) 2007 Live Acoustique Sweet Micky
Blazin' Live 2007 Live Exit Sweet Micky
Bandi Légal 2008 Studio Antilles Sweet Micky
Micky & Sons 2008 Antilles Sweet Micky
Vin' Pran Konpa 2008 Studio Patrick Sweet Micky
Konpa Prezidantiyèl 2010 Live Sweet Micky Sweet Micky
Prézidan Éspwa Vote #8 2011 Studio ArnoldZic Sweet Micky

References edit

  1. ^ a b Jaqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 April 2012, Haiti president says he came close to death
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Michael E. Miller, 9 June 2011, New Times Broward-Palm Beach, Michel Martelly Is Haiti's New President. But the Former Palm Beach County Resident Has a Dark Side 19 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Haiti's president releases sexually suggestive song targeting journalist". The Guardian. 2 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ackerman, Elise. "His Music Rules in Haiti: Sweet Micky's provocative music moves Haitians with an infectious beat and political overtones". Miami New Times. 29 May 1997. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  5. ^ Isaac, Harold; Ellsworth, Brian (20 November 2022). "Canada sanctions Haiti ex-President Martelly for financing gangs". Reuters. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  6. ^ "'The situation in Haiti is going from bad to worse with no end in sight'". CETRI. 31 May 2022.
  7. ^ "BREAKING NEWS: Michel Joseph Martelly celebrities as they laid to rest his mother, Marie Madeleine D. Martelly, on October 25, 2016". Miami New Times. 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Michel Joseph Martelly celebrities as they laid to rest his mother in Haiti, Marie Madeleine De Martelly". Sentinel. 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  9. ^ "His Music Rules Haiti". No. miaminewtimes.com. Elise Ackerman. Miami New Times. 29 May 1997. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. ^ "His Music Rules in Haiti: Sweet Micky's provocative music moves Haitians with an infectious beat and political overtones". Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  11. ^ a b "From pop star to presidency". Shenzhen Daily. 8 April 2011. from the original on 27 July 2013.
  12. ^ Ives, Kim, ed. (20 May 2015). "Has Sophia Martelly truly renounced her U.S. citizenship?". Liberation. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  13. ^ Balmaseda, Liz. The Sweet Life of Michel Martelly Palm Beach Post archived on FindArticles.com. 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  14. ^ a b McAlister, Elizabeth (9 April 2011). "The Bad Boy Makes Good". Foreign Policy.
  15. ^ Katz, Jonathan (4 May 2015). "The King and Queen of Haiti". Politico. [T]he government that Hillary Clinton helped put in power during that January 2011 trip—and that both Clintons have backed strongly since—has proven itself unworthy of that trust.
  16. ^ Waters, Maxine. Haiti's Doubtful Elections Cloud Future Recovery 19 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Black Star News. 3 February 2011. Retrieved on 3 February 2011.
  17. ^ Archibald, Randal C. Popular Carnival Singer Is Elected President of Haiti in a Landslide "The New York Times". 4 April 2011. Retrieved on 4 April 2011.
  18. ^ Miami Herald, 15 May 2011
  19. ^ . Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  20. ^ "Haiti: Disbanded Army Reportedly To Be Restored". Huffington Post. 27 September 2011.
  21. ^ . Yahoo Finance. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  22. ^ Ezra Fieser, TIME, 14 April 2012,
  23. ^ Ezra Fieser and Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 April 2012, Dominican authorities investigating Haitian contracts of senator
  24. ^ Belford, Aubrey; Ciesla, Wojciech; Gesina-Torres, Endy; Sarcevic, Lejla (24 February 2018). "How a French Fraudster Climbed the World of International Arms Dealing". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Unit. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  25. ^ "Haiti anti-government protests turn violent".
  26. ^ BBC Haiti: New calls for Martelly to resign as deal is announced
  27. ^ Amelie Baron (13 March 2015). "Haiti announces dates for presidential, legislative elections". Reuters. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  28. ^ "Disorder as Haitians vote in long-delayed elections – US News". U.S. News & World Report.
  29. ^ Haiti sets date for long overdue elections BBC News, 13 March 2015
  30. ^ [1] Archived 5 January 2016 at archive.today Reuters, 5 November 2015
  31. ^ Preliminary Results 23 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Clinton's Long Shadow | Jacobin". www.jacobinmag.com. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  33. ^ "Célestin disputes Haiti election results; supporters protest". miamiherald.
  34. ^ Anderson, Jon Lee (17 February 2016). "Haiti Has a President". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X.
  35. ^ "Haiti interim president vows to hold former leaders accountable". Yahoo News. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  36. ^ "Haiti panel calls for re-run of presidential elections". miamiherald. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  37. ^ The Associated Press (30 May 2016). "Haiti Panel Recommends Throwing Out Results of Disputed Vote". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  38. ^ "Ben Patterson". IMDb.
  39. ^ . Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  40. ^ "Documentary: "Sweet Micky for President"". Yahoo News. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  41. ^ "Sweet Micky for President (2015) - IMDb". IMDb.
  42. ^ "Canada Imposes Sanctions on Haiti's Former Leader and Other Officials". New York Times.
  43. ^ Canada, Global Affairs (18 November 2022). "Sanctions: Grave breach of international peace and security in Haiti". GAC. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  44. ^ "Avant Michel Martelly, Laurent Lamothe et Jean Henry Céant, les USA et le Canada avaient ciblé d'autres Haïtiens". Le Nouvelliste. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  45. ^ "Un Martelly tourmenté retourne au pays". Image7 (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  46. ^ Isaac, Harold; Ellsworth, Brian (20 November 2022). "Canada sanctions Haiti ex-President Martelly for financing gangs". Reuters. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  47. ^ Terrall, Ben, ed. (16 November 2012). "Resistance to Martelly regime grows in Haiti". SF Bay View. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  48. ^ Daniel, Trenton. The former pop singer who could be Haiti’s president. The Miami Herald. 6 February 2011. Retrieved on 21 February 2011.
  49. ^ Jaqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 April 2012, As Haitian President Martelly recuperates in Miami, armed ex-soldiers stormed parliament grounds

External links edit

    Music edit

    • Sweet Micky: Mon Colonel, music video
    Political offices
    Preceded by President of Haiti
    2011–2016
    Succeeded by

    michel, martelly, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, article, . This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Michel Martelly news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Michel Joseph Martelly 1 French pronunciation miʃɛl ʒozɛf maʁtɛli born 12 February 1961 2 is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016 Michel Martelly42nd President of HaitiIn office 14 May 2011 7 February 2016Prime MinisterJean Max BelleriveGarry ConilleLaurent LamotheFlorence Duperval Guillaume acting Evans PaulPreceded byRene PrevalSucceeded byJocelerme Privert interim Personal detailsBornMichel Joseph Martelly 1961 02 12 12 February 1961 age 63 Port au Prince HaitiPolitical partyRepons PeyizanSpousesFirst wife until 1986 divorced Sophia Saint Remy m 1987 wbr Children4 including OlivierWebsiteOfficial websiteMusical careerGenresCompasOccupation s Musician composerInstrument s Vocals keyboardYears active1988 2011 2016 presentMartelly was one of Haiti s best known musicians for over a decade going by the stage name Sweet Micky For business and musical reasons Martelly has moved a number of times between the United States and Haiti When travelling to the United States Martelly mostly stays in Florida After his presidency Martelly returned to his former band and sang a carnival meringue entitled Bal Bannann nan Give Her the Banana as a mocking response to Liliane Pierre Paul a famous Haitian female journalist in Port au Prince 3 As a singer and keyboardist Sweet Micky is known for his Konpa music a style of Haitian dance music sung predominantly in the Haitian Creole language but he blended this with other styles Martelly popularized a new generation of compas with smaller bands relying on synthesizers and electronic instruments From 1989 to 2008 Martelly recorded over a dozen studio albums and a number of live CDs As a musician and club owner in Haiti in the late 1980s and early 1990s Martelly became associated with the neo Duvalierist Haitian military and police including figures such as police chief Michel Francois and he agreed with the 1991 Haitian coup d etat against Jean Bertrand Aristide In 1995 after Aristide had been restored to office Martelly s name appeared on a hit list of coup supporters and he stayed away from Haiti for almost a year During this time he released a song Prezidan on the album Pa Manyen an exuberant ditty that called for a president who played compas 4 However he did not run for political office until 2010 when he became a candidate for President of Haiti After the catastrophic earthquake Martelly won the 2010 11 Haitian general election for his party Repons Peyizan Farmers Response Party after a run off against candidate Mirlande Manigat Martelly had come in third in the first round of the election until the Organization of American States forced Jude Celestin to withdraw due to alleged fraud Martelly assumed his position of the President of Haiti on 14 May 2011 after Rene Preval retired to his home in Marmelade His election campaign included a promise to reinstate the nation s military which had been abolished in the 1990s by Jean Bertrand Aristide He resigned as president in February 2016 He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government which accuses him of involvement in human rights violations and supporting criminal gangs on 17 November 2022 5 For the political scientist Frederic Thomas the accession to power of Michel Martelly in 2011 marked the beginning of a form of legal banditry and constitutes a key step in the process of decay of the Haitian state 6 Contents 1 Early life 2 Music 2 1 Recording career 3 Political career 3 1 Presidency 4 Canadian Government Sanctions Against Martelly 5 Personal life and later music career 6 Discography 7 References 8 External links 8 1 MusicEarly life editMartelly was born in Cotes de Fer the son of Gerard Martelly a Shell Oil executive and Marie Madeleine Martelly nee De Pradines b 1931 d 21 October 2016 7 8 2 9 On his mother s side his grandfather Auguste de Pradines was a troubadour 10 who wrote comic protest songs against the 1915 34 United States occupation of Haiti 4 After graduating from high school at the Institution Saint Louis de Gonzague Martelly enlisted in the Haitian Military Academy but according to Martelly was expelled after impregnating the daughter of a general 2 In 1984 he moved to the United States and worked in construction and briefly attended a community college in Miami 2 In 1986 after one semester he divorced his first wife an American citizen and returned to Haiti just as Jean Claude Duvalier then president for life was heading into exile 11 In 1987 Martelly returned to Miami with his then girlfriend Sophia Saint Remy 4 12 whom he later married in a small ceremony in Miami Florida citation needed They returned to Haiti in 1988 4 Upon his return to Haiti Martelly had his first breakthrough in the music industry when he began playing keyboard as a fill in musician in local venues in Petion Ville and Kenscoff upscale suburbs of Port au Prince 4 13 Martelly sang playful romantic numbers over a slow meringue beat called compas the only music allowed under the Duvaliers 2 After the 1991 Haitian coup d etat saw the expulsion of Jean Bertrand Aristide Martelly opened a Petion Ville club called the Garage where he entertained many of the coup s main architects including the much feared chief of national police Michel Francois later convicted in absentia for massacring Aristide supporters 2 Music editMartelly has been heralded as a pioneer of a unique genre of compas a style of Haitian dance music sung predominantly in the Haitian Creole language Originally compas was the creation of Nemours Jean Baptiste Martelly a keyboardist and the self proclaimed President of Compas popularized a nouvelle generation or new generation style of smaller bands with few members that relied predominantly on synthesizers and electronic instruments to reproduce a fuller sound Martelly s live performances and recordings are sometimes laced with physical humor and humorous sociopolitical commentaries and satires Although he is the most recognized musician and public personality in Haiti Martelly s performance style has sometimes ignited controversy throughout Haitian communities Recording career edit By 1988 Martelly s musical talent stage craft and his pattering style of compas had gained tremendous popularity at El Rancho Hotel and Casino and The Florville another local venues That year he recorded his first single Ou La La which became an instant hit followed by Konpas Foret des Pins in 1989 also from his debut album Ou La La During the period of about 1988 2008 Martelly using his stage name Sweet Micky recorded fourteen studio albums and a number of live CDs His music features slow meringue compas troubadour carnival meringue raboday etc In 1997 Martelly s crossover appeal to other musical genres was evident when hip hop star Wyclef Jean of The Fugees featured him on the title track for Jean s solo effort Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival featuring the Refugee Allstars As Jean proclaims on The Carnival Surprise it s Sweet Micky y all Also in 1997 Martelly released an album containing one of his most celebrated hits Pa Manyen Don t Touch The song is an adaptation of Angola composed by the renowned artist composer record producer Ramiro Mendes of the Mendes Brothers first recorded by Cesaria Evora the legendary Cape Verdean singer Pa Manyen went on to be featured in various compilation albums including the popular Putumayo Presents French Caribbean in 2003 The song was also covered by Venezuelan singer Soledad Bravo as Canta Canta Corazon and by Jose Luiz Cortes of Cuba See also the Mendes Brothers original version of the song performed by Ramiro Mendes included in the group s 1997 album Para Angola Com Um Xi Coracao Martelly is also notorious for his cursing on stage cross dressing as well as using homophobic slurs His celebrity status as a popular compas musician would become a major factor in his popularity as a politician 14 Political career editIn 1992 Martelly played for free at a protest against the arrival of a UN representative charged with negotiating the return of Jean Bertrand Aristide after the 1991 Haitian coup d etat 2 Martelly later explained I did not want Aristide back You want me to be a de facto supporter of the coup I m a de facto It s my right It s my country I can fight for whatever I believe in 2 After Jean Bertrand Aristide had been restored to office some former military officers paramilitaries and secret police associated with the old regime were assassinated In February 1995 a hit list of such individuals was circulated and included Martelly s name After an individual on the list was murdered Martelly s wife warned him not to come back from his tour and it was almost a year before he returned to Haiti 4 During this time he released a song Prezidan an exuberant ditty that called for a president who played compas 4 At the 1996 Carnival to which Manno Charlemagne the mayor of Port au Prince invited him Martelly dressed in a pink wig and bra 4 As Martelly explained it was intended in part as a political statement If you see me as a Macoute then I m a Macoute If you see me as gay I m gay What you think of me is no problem as far as I am concerned You have the right to think what you want I know who I am and that s the main thing 4 In 1997 Martelly participated in Knowledge Is Power an HIV educational music video with a message about preventing the spread of HIV His humanitarian work as the president of the Fondation Rose et Blanc created by his wife Sophia and himself to help the poor and disenfranchised of the country was the basis for his choice as the Good Will Haitian Ambassador for the Protection of the Environment by the Haitian Government In 2004 following the 2004 Haitian coup d etat against Aristide Gerard Latortue a friend of Martelly s became Prime Minister 2 At this time Martelly was living in Florida but in 2007 he moved back to Haiti In the process when the mortgage financial sector crashed he defaulted on more than 1m in loans losing 3 properties to foreclosure 2 Following the 2010 earthquake Martelly ran for President of Haiti in the general elections He benefited from his celebrity status as a musician and held musical rallies called koudjay musical political endorsement rallies drawing crowds and media attention 14 He also benefited from the support of Bill Clinton UN Special Envoy to Haiti and the active support of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 15 He challenged the results as to whether he placed second making the runoff or third On 3 February 2011 it was announced that he would participate in a run off election scheduled for 20 March 2011 16 On 4 April 2011 a senior official announced that Martelly had won the presidential run off election against candidate Mirlande Manigat with more than 60 of the vote 17 Presidency edit nbsp Martelly meets with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid 7 July 2011After the devastating earthquake Martelly was sworn in as President of Haiti on 14 May 2011 marking the first time in Haitian history that an incumbent president peacefully transferred power to a member of the opposition On the anniversary of the earthquake the incumbent Haitian Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive resigned to allow Martelly to choose his own Prime Minister 18 Martelly was quick to pledge reforms for the post earthquake reconstruction process 19 In August 2011 Martelly announced a plan to reinstate the nation s military This plan was controversial as many human rights activists were concerned about the return of a military responsible for many atrocities in the past 20 In September 2011 Martelly formed an advisory board that included business executives bankers and politicians such as former U S President Bill Clinton which he hoped would improve the economy 21 In February 2012 Martelly s Prime Minister Garry Conille resigned after having been in office five months He was replaced in May by Laurent Lamothe the Haitian Foreign Minister Between March and April 2012 Martelly was accused of corruption with allegations that during and after the 2010 earthquake and presidential election he had accepted 2 6 million in bribes to ensure that a Dominican Republic construction company would continue to receive contracts under his presidency Martelly denied the allegations 22 Companies owned or controlled by Felix Bautista had received no bid contracts worth 200 million awarded by former Haitian Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive 23 In October 2013 Martelly met with a Franco Polish arms dealer Pierre Dadak and two Canadian businessmen to discuss a 20 billion plan to develop Ile a Vache a plan which came to nothing but has the source of some controversy 24 In November 2013 anti government protests were held in the country over the high cost of living and corruption 25 Mid term Senate elections had been originally due in May 2012 while the municipal poll was three years behind schedule They were again postponed on 26 October 2014 the day they were due to be held because of an ongoing stalemate between the government and a group of opposition senators over an electoral law The Haitian government faced months of protests over the delayed elections Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned on 14 December and was replaced by Evans Paul But street protests continued with renewed calls for the president s resignation On 13 January 2015 the parliament was dissolved after its term expired and four days later thousands of protesters in Port au Prince again demanded the president s resignation Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd Martelly urged protesters to respect public order and said he had reached a deal with the opposition to form a consensus government within the next 48 hours 26 New election dates were announced in March 2015 both for parliament and for president Martelly was ineligible to run again as Haiti s constitution does not allow for consecutive terms 27 On 9 August 2015 the first election Haiti had under President Michel Martelly took place The citizens voted in the first round to fill two thirds of the 30 member Senate and the entire 119 member Chamber of Deputies In the capital groups of young men ripped up paper ballots as heavily armed police shot into the air to re establish order Rocks were thrown in response before authorities closed the polling station Local media reported the closure of numerous polling places in other parts of the country and scattered arrests of people accused of voting more than once 54 polling stations roughly 5 percent of the total were closed amid violence and other disruptions The first round of Haiti s presidential election was scheduled for 25 October 2015 28 Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 25 October 2015 alongside local elections and the second round of the legislative elections 29 The runoff of this election were scheduled for 27 December 2015 30 According to preliminary results posted by the Provisional Electoral Council Jovenel Moise obtained 32 81 of the preferences and Jude Celestin won 25 27 31 After the preliminary results were published on 25 October 2015 Jude Celestin said he did not recognize them His criticism was joined by five other presidential candidates They issued a joint statement denouncing the results as anti democratic and called for the people s vote to be respected Martelly openly declared his support for Moise 32 The supporters of Celestin protested in the streets together with the supporters of Jean Charles Moise s Platfom Pitit Desalin and supporters of former President Jean Bertrand Aristide s Fanmi Lavalas party the presidential candidate of which Maryse Narcisse finished fourth behind Jean Charles Moise and also denounced the results during a news conference The protesters threw rocks and burned tires The police responded with tear gas and made some arrests The police also stopped and searched the vehicle of a former top government prosecutor Claudy Gassant who is a supporter of Moise 33 Martelly resigned the presidency on 10 February 2016 leaving Haiti without a president for a week On 17 February 2016 he was succeeded by Jocelerme Privert who served as interim president 34 35 Amid allegations of fraud in the 2015 elections Privert created a month long verification commission to restore legitimacy to the electoral process In May 2016 the commission audited 13 000 ballots and determined that the elections had been dishonest and recommended a complete redo of the election 36 37 In 2015 Pras of the Fugees completed a documentary entitled Sweet Micky for President and directed by Ben Patterson 38 The film chronicles the rise of Martelly through his election to fight corruption as President of Haiti 39 The film had its World premiere at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival 40 and later appeared on Showtime 41 Canadian Government Sanctions Against Martelly editOn 17 November 2022 the Government of Canada imposed joint sanctions against Martelly and former Prime Ministers Laurent Lamothe and Jean Henry Ceant The sanctions against Martelly was a response to his allegedly involvement in gross and systematic human rights violations in Haiti Specifically Martelly is accused of supporting violent armed gangs in Haiti that terrorize the population 42 43 44 A tormented Martelly was seen returning to Haiti from Miami 24 hours before the sanctions were publicly announced traveling with nine pieces of luggage 45 A press release by the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned that Martelly is suspected of protecting and enabling the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs 46 Personal life and later music career editMartelly divorced his first wife an American citizen in 1986 11 Martelly has a brother Girard who served in the United States Armed Forces It is believed that Martelly currently when lives in Haiti but held several homes in Palm Beach Florida He lives when with his wife and former manager Sophia Saint Remy and their four children Olivier Sandro Yani and Malaika 47 In 2006 Martelly announced his unofficial retirement from recording and performing but two years later announced a return to music with a new single Magouye and the video short film Bandi Legal yo ki rive He is a cousin of Port au Prince hotel manager and musician Richard Morse 48 In April 2012 Martelly was flown to the United States for treatment of what was later diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism 1 It was attributed to the immobilisation of his arm necessitated by recent shoulder surgery 49 Discography editTitle Released Type Label as Woule Woule 1989 Studio Geronimo Michel MartellyAnba Rad La 1990 Studio AP Michel MartellyThe Sweetest 1992 Studio Josy Michel MartellyMin Koze A 1993 Studio Josy Michel MartellyI Don t Care 1994 Studio Josy Michel MartellyPa Manyen 1995 Studio Josy Michel MartellyTout Ce Mately 1996 Studio Declic Michel MartellyAloufa 1997 Studio Antilles Michel MartellyBest of Sweet Micky 1997 Compilation Declic Sweet Micky100 000 Volts 1998 Studio Mini Records Michel MartellyAn Bolewo 1998 Live Anson Sweet MickyDenye Okazyon 1999 Studio Geronimo Michel MartellyJojo Ban m Nouvel Micky 1999 Live Exit Michel Martelly100 KaKa 1999 Live Mad Dog Sweet MickyMichel Martelly Live 2000 Live Creon Sweet MickySiSiSi 2001 Studio Creon Michel MartellyLive au cafe des arts Vol 2 2001 Live Geronimo Sweet Micky200 KaKa 2001 Studio Live Mad Dog Sweet MickyRale Kow La Live Geronimo Sweet Micky400 KaKa 2002 Live Mad Dog Sweet MickyLive at Best Western 2002 Live Geronimo Sweet MickyBest of Michel Martelly 2002 Compilation Creon Michel MartellyTotot 2003 Studio AD Sweet MickyMicky Chez Lui Micky Bolero 2 2003 Exit Sweet MickySweet Micky Live 2003 Live Geronimo Sweet MickyNew Repertoire 2004 Live Exit Sweet MickyBabaille Micky Mix 2004 Exit Sweet MickyGNB 2005 Studio D Facto Sweet MickySweet Micky with Robert Martino Live Vol 1 2005 Live Touche Douce Sweet MickySweet Micky with Robert Martino Live Vol 1 2005 Live Touche Douce Sweet MickyMicky ap Trip 2005 Live Exit Sweet MickySweet Micky amp Djakout Live 2006 2006 Live Feeling Sweet MickyJojo Ban m Nouvel Micky 2006 Live Exit Michel MartellySweet Micky vs Dega 2007 Live Arnold Sweet MickyLive in Miami Ouve Kow 2007 Live Acoustique Sweet MickyBlazin Live 2007 Live Exit Sweet MickyBandi Legal 2008 Studio Antilles Sweet MickyMicky amp Sons 2008 Antilles Sweet MickyVin Pran Konpa 2008 Studio Patrick Sweet MickyKonpa Prezidantiyel 2010 Live Sweet Micky Sweet MickyPrezidan Espwa Vote 8 2011 Studio ArnoldZic Sweet MickyReferences edit a b Jaqueline Charles Miami Herald 25 April 2012 Haiti president says he came close to death a b c d e f g h i j Michael E Miller 9 June 2011 New Times Broward Palm Beach Michel Martelly Is Haiti s New President But the Former Palm Beach County Resident Has a Dark Side Archived 19 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Haiti s president releases sexually suggestive song targeting journalist The Guardian 2 February 2016 a b c d e f g h i Ackerman Elise His Music Rules in Haiti Sweet Micky s provocative music moves Haitians with an infectious beat and political overtones Miami New Times 29 May 1997 Retrieved 3 February 2011 Isaac Harold Ellsworth Brian 20 November 2022 Canada sanctions Haiti ex President Martelly for financing gangs Reuters Retrieved 5 December 2023 The situation in Haiti is going from bad to worse with no end in sight CETRI 31 May 2022 BREAKING NEWS Michel Joseph Martelly celebrities as they laid to rest his mother Marie Madeleine D Martelly on October 25 2016 Miami New Times 2016 Retrieved 25 October 2016 Michel Joseph Martelly celebrities as they laid to rest his mother in Haiti Marie Madeleine De Martelly Sentinel 2016 Retrieved 27 October 2016 His Music Rules Haiti No miaminewtimes com Elise Ackerman Miami New Times 29 May 1997 Retrieved 19 January 2016 His Music Rules in Haiti Sweet Micky s provocative music moves Haitians with an infectious beat and political overtones Retrieved 4 March 2014 a b From pop star to presidency Shenzhen Daily 8 April 2011 Archived from the original on 27 July 2013 Ives Kim ed 20 May 2015 Has Sophia Martelly truly renounced her U S citizenship Liberation Retrieved 14 December 2015 Balmaseda Liz The Sweet Life of Michel Martelly Palm Beach Post archived on FindArticles com 2007 Retrieved 7 May 2011 a b McAlister Elizabeth 9 April 2011 The Bad Boy Makes Good Foreign Policy Katz Jonathan 4 May 2015 The King and Queen of Haiti Politico T he government that Hillary Clinton helped put in power during that January 2011 trip and that both Clintons have backed strongly since has proven itself unworthy of that trust Waters Maxine Haiti s Doubtful Elections Cloud Future Recovery Archived 19 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine Black Star News 3 February 2011 Retrieved on 3 February 2011 Archibald Randal C Popular Carnival Singer Is Elected President of Haiti in a Landslide The New York Times 4 April 2011 Retrieved on 4 April 2011 Miami Herald 15 May 2011 Haiti reconstruction desperately slow Martelly News Jamaica Observer Archived from the original on 25 January 2016 Retrieved 19 January 2016 Haiti Disbanded Army Reportedly To Be Restored Huffington Post 27 September 2011 Haiti pres Clinton form board to court investors Yahoo Finance 9 September 2011 Archived from the original on 7 October 2016 Retrieved 17 January 2017 Ezra Fieser TIME 14 April 2012 A Year Under Martelly Corruption Controversy Sidetracks Haiti s Effort to Rebuild Ezra Fieser and Jacqueline Charles Miami Herald 2 April 2012 Dominican authorities investigating Haitian contracts of senator Belford Aubrey Ciesla Wojciech Gesina Torres Endy Sarcevic Lejla 24 February 2018 How a French Fraudster Climbed the World of International Arms Dealing Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Unit Retrieved 18 April 2020 Haiti anti government protests turn violent BBC Haiti New calls for Martelly to resign as deal is announced Amelie Baron 13 March 2015 Haiti announces dates for presidential legislative elections Reuters Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 1 July 2017 Disorder as Haitians vote in long delayed elections US News U S News amp World Report Haiti sets date for long overdue elections BBC News 13 March 2015 1 Archived 5 January 2016 at archive today Reuters 5 November 2015 Preliminary Results Archived 23 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Clinton s Long Shadow Jacobin www jacobinmag com Retrieved 2 June 2016 Celestin disputes Haiti election results supporters protest miamiherald Anderson Jon Lee 17 February 2016 Haiti Has a President The New Yorker ISSN 0028 792X Haiti interim president vows to hold former leaders accountable Yahoo News Retrieved 20 February 2016 Haiti panel calls for re run of presidential elections miamiherald Retrieved 2 June 2016 The Associated Press 30 May 2016 Haiti Panel Recommends Throwing Out Results of Disputed Vote The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Ben Patterson IMDb Pras and Ben Patterson on Their New Doc Sweet Micky for President Mass Appeal Archived from the original on 20 January 2018 Retrieved 19 January 2018 Documentary Sweet Micky for President Yahoo News Retrieved 21 March 2016 Sweet Micky for President 2015 IMDb IMDb Canada Imposes Sanctions on Haiti s Former Leader and Other Officials New York Times Canada Global Affairs 18 November 2022 Sanctions Grave breach of international peace and security in Haiti GAC Retrieved 23 November 2022 Avant Michel Martelly Laurent Lamothe et Jean Henry Ceant les USA et le Canada avaient cible d autres Haitiens Le Nouvelliste Retrieved 23 November 2022 Un Martelly tourmente retourne au pays Image7 in French Retrieved 1 December 2022 Isaac Harold Ellsworth Brian 20 November 2022 Canada sanctions Haiti ex President Martelly for financing gangs Reuters Retrieved 23 November 2022 Terrall Ben ed 16 November 2012 Resistance to Martelly regime grows in Haiti SF Bay View Retrieved 14 December 2015 Daniel Trenton The former pop singer who could be Haiti s president The Miami Herald 6 February 2011 Retrieved on 21 February 2011 Jaqueline Charles Miami Herald 17 April 2012 As Haitian President Martelly recuperates in Miami armed ex soldiers stormed parliament groundsExternal links editOfficial websiteMusic edit Sweet Micky Mon Colonel music videoPolitical officesPreceded byRene Preval President of Haiti2011 2016 Succeeded byJocelerme PrivertProvisional Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michel Martelly amp oldid 1206998237, wikipedia, wiki, 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