Laurent Lamothe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laurent Lamothe
16th Prime Minister of Haiti
In office 16 May 2012 – 14 December 2014
President	Michel Martelly
Preceded by	Garry Conille
Succeeded by	Florence Duperval Guillaume (acting)
Minister of Planning and External Cooperation
In office 6 August 2012 – 14 December 2014
Preceded by	Josefa Gauthier
Succeeded by	Florence Duperval Guillaume (acting)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 24 October 2011 – 6 August 2012
Prime Minister	Garry Conille
Preceded by	Marie-Michèle Rey
Succeeded by	Pierre-Richard Casimir
Personal details
Born	Laurent Salvador Lamothe (1972-08-14) 14 August 1972 (age 52) Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Barry University St. Thomas University

Laurent Salvador Lamothe (born 14 August 1972) is a Haitian businessman and political leader. He served in the government of Haiti as the Foreign Minister starting in October 2011. Later, he became the Prime Minister in May 2012.

Lamothe resigned from his role as Prime Minister on 14 December 2014. He has recently spoken about the important need for safety and order in Haiti.

Early Life and Education

Laurent Lamothe was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His father, Louis G. Lamothe, started the Lope de Vega Institute. His mother, Ghislaine Fortuney Lamothe, is an artist.

Laurent's older brother, Ruben, was a captain for Haiti's Davis Cup tennis team. Laurent himself played tennis and represented Haiti in the Davis Cup in 1994 and 1995.

Schooling and Degrees

When he was 19, Lamothe moved to Florida to continue his studies. He earned a bachelor's degree in political sciences from Barry University in Miami.

In 1996, he went on to Saint Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida. There, he completed a master's degree in business management.

Political Career

In 1998, Lamothe helped start a company called Global Voice Group, which works with telecommunications.

He began his political journey as a special advisor to Haitian President Michel Martelly. In September 2011, Lamothe and former U.S. President Bill Clinton worked together. They led a group called the Presidential Advisory Council for Economic Development and Investment in Haiti. This group aimed to help Haiti grow by attracting foreign businesses.

Later that year, Lamothe was chosen to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He gave his first speech as the new Minister on 26 October 2011.

Leading the Government

On 1 March 2012, after the previous Prime Minister resigned, President Martelly chose Lamothe to take over. Lamothe was given the big job of helping to rebuild Haiti after the terrible 2010 earthquake.

While Lamothe was Prime Minister, more money from other countries was invested in Haiti than at any time since the 1980s. His government worked to make Haiti a safer and better place for businesses. They offered tax breaks for companies that invested in the country.

He also worked to increase the number of police officers by 30 percent. He led a program to provide free education and tried to fight corruption. A 2014 study showed that the number of people living in extreme poverty in Haiti dropped from 31% to 24% between 2012 and 2014. This was thanks to a social program called EDE PEP, which helped two million people.

Lamothe served as Prime Minister for 31 months. He resigned from his position on 14 December 2014.

Running for President

In 2015, Laurent Lamothe hoped to become president after his former boss, President Martelly. However, his application to run was not accepted.

There is a rule in the Haitian Constitution that says former government officials must have an audit. This audit checks how they managed public money during their time in office. This check is needed before they can run for public office again.

Lamothe had three audits done by the group in Haiti that checks public spending. All these audits showed that he had managed public funds properly.

After Government

In July 2015, Lamothe started a private company called LSL World Initiative. This company helps governments find ways to fund their own programs for long-term development.

In December 2015, Lamothe also started the Dr. Louis G. Lamothe Foundation. He named it after his father. This Foundation focuses on plans to help Haiti become a stronger country by 2041.

After Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, the Foundation worked in Anse du Clerc to help the town recover. They aimed to fix damaged houses and help people get fishing equipment. The Foundation also worked to provide different kinds of seeds to farmers.

Facing Questions

In November 2022, the Canadian government stated that Lamothe was involved in issues related to human rights and supporting groups that cause trouble. Lamothe strongly denied these claims, saying that Canada had not shown any proof.

He asked for a public apology from the Canadian government. In December, he filed a legal request with Canada's Federal Court. He argued that the decision was made without giving him a chance to explain his side.

In June 2023, the United States said Lamothe was not allowed to return to the US. They mentioned questions about how money from the PetroCaribe funds was used. The US has not yet provided proof for these statements.

The PetroCaribe funds were aid from Venezuela, given as discounted oil. After the earthquake, Haiti was supposed to use this help to rebuild the country.

Lamothe has strongly pushed back against these claims. He believes the United States is listening to false stories that have tried to harm his reputation for years.

Since he took office and even after he resigned, Lamothe's time as Prime Minister has been checked five times. A court decision also found no proof to support the claims about misused funds.

Personal Life

In 2013, Lamothe was dating Czech model Petra Němcová. However, they were no longer together by 2015.

Awards and Recognition

In 2015, Lamothe received the National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals Golden Honors Award for his work. He also won the Social Media Person of the Year award in 2015.

In March 2016, Lamothe was added to the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame for his achievements in tennis.

Lamothe has spoken about blockchain at important events. These include the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos and the Transform Africa Summit. He also spoke at the Berlin Economic Forum.

In 2021, a book about him called The Hands of the Prime Minister was written by photojournalist Philip Holsinger.

See also

In Spanish: Laurent Lamothe para niños