Expropriation of Collège Canapé-Vert: Ministry of Justice Orders Investigation

Port-au-Prince, January 31, 2023 — Following persistent rumors of expropriation targeting Collège Canapé-Vert, a landmark educational institution founded in 1953, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has officially intervened.

In a letter dated January 30, 2023 (ref: MJ/SCGe/38), the Minister of Justice, Dr. Patrick Pelissier, instructed the Government Commissioner at the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance, Me Jean Fritz Patterson Dorval, to take immediate action on the matter.

The Minister’s instructions to the Chief Prosecutor include:

• Visiting the site with the support of law enforcement.

• Guaranteeing respect for private property rights.

• Enforcing current constitutional and legal provisions.

The primary goal is to prevent any illegal attempt to seize this historic institution, which has played a central role in the educational and social life of the Canapé-Vert neighborhood for over seven decades.

Furthermore, the Ministry has ordered the recovery of all legal acts already served in this case, the identification of the networks behind this initiative, and the prosecution of all authors and accomplices with “the utmost severity.”

This case involves the educational legacy of Mrs. Franck Paul, founder of Collège Canapé-Vert, who has dedicated her life to the formation of Haiti’s youth. The outcome of this investigation will serve as a test of the authorities’ ability to preserve educational heritage and uphold property rights amidst high land-tenure tensions.

Dodeley Orelus