Canadian Charged for Plotting Haiti Coup

Gerald Nicolas, a 51-year Canadian man, is facing accusations of planning to carry out a coup against Haiti during Jovenel Moise’s presidency. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Nicolas, a resident of the town of close to Quebec City, faces charges for allegedly leaving Canada to facilitate terrorism, facilitating terrorism, and providing property for terrorist activities.   

“What is alleged … is that Mr. Nicolas actually traveled to Haiti and to other Central and South American countries – we’re talking about multiple countries – in order to recruit, finance and acquire some weapons for his armed revolution,” said Sergeant Charles Poirier, a spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “He not only wanted to overthrow the government in place, but also seize power.” 

“If you are a Canadian citizen, breaking the law in a foreign country is the same as breaking the law in Canada,” Poirier said, hoping the charges against Nicolas would serve as a warning to others with ambitions of committing similar crimes. 

Nicolas and his accomplices failed to obtain the weapons needed to carry out the coup. Nicolas denied the charges leveled against him, alleging an agenda was being enacted against him by a former lover and the police of Levis. “She made up a whole story that I was a terrorist,” he said to CBC Radio, a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “She managed to convince [police] because I’m Black. If I were white, I wouldn’t be talking to you today. The police would have been more careful,” he said “The Lévis police are racists with a badge.” Nicolas claims that all he did was send humanitarian aid such as food and clothes to Haiti. He further claimed that his half-sister lives in the Caribbean country.   

The Canadian police made it clear that Nicolas had no part to play in President Moise’s assassination, which took place in July 2021. Moise’s assassination is blamed on a group of mercenaries. According to Canada’s federal police, their investigation into the matter started after they were informed thereof by the Levis police. Nicolas is expected to appear in a Quebec City court on December 1, 2022.