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Reginald and Rudolph Boulos are brothers born into one of Haiti’s most powerful and controversial families. The Boulos name carries weight across Haiti’s business, political, and medical landscapes. Their father, Carlos Boulos, established a legacy in the pharmaceutical industry that gave the family financial power and access that few in Haiti could match.
Both brothers started their careers in medicine before stepping into the business and political arenas. Their early work in pharmaceuticals helped shape the family’s image as one deeply rooted in Haiti’s healthcare system. One of their most notable products was pharmaceutical glycerine, a simple yet essential ingredient used to sweeten liquid medicine for children. Beyond taste, glycerine preserves consistency and extends shelf life. For many Haitian families, medicine sweetened by Boulos-distributed glycerine was part of daily life. It symbolized care and accessibility, even as it quietly built the family’s economic empire.
Reginald Boulos, born in 1956, began as a physician and later earned a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University. His transition into business during the 1990s marked the beginning of a vast expansion. He became a key figure in Haiti’s private sector, leading banks, supermarkets, and media outlets. His companies, including Delimart and Autoplaza, helped make him one of the country’s most influential businessmen. In 2019, he founded the political movement known as Third Way, promoting reform and youth participation in politics.
Over time, Reginald’s influence grew, but so did controversy. In 2021 Haiti’s anti-corruption unit launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds linked to loans and his supermarket chain. Although the investigation stalled, it raised serious questions about how the country’s elite handle state resources. Then, in 2025, Reginald made international headlines when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him at his Florida home. According to federal authorities, he was accused of supporting violent groups that contributed to Haiti’s instability and of failing to disclose key information during his permanent residency application. A U.S. judge ordered that he remain in custody while immigration proceedings continued.
Rudolph Boulos took a slightly different path. Like his brother, he was trained in medicine but found his calling in politics. In 2006 he was elected Senator for Haiti’s Nord-Est department. He entered the Senate promising to modernize governance and promote development. However, his political career was soon overshadowed by allegations that he held dual citizenship, which is prohibited for Haitian lawmakers. His seat was later revoked after a Senate inquiry concluded he had violated the constitutional rule. The decision sparked public debate about corruption, political privilege, and loyalty within Haiti’s leadership class.
The controversies surrounding the Boulos family extend beyond these two brothers. Over the years, the family has been linked in public discussions to corruption, money laundering, and political manipulation. Critics argue that the Boulos empire blurred the line between business and politics, using financial power to influence policy and suppress opposition. Supporters claim the family helped modernize Haiti’s economy, providing jobs, goods, and infrastructure that the government failed to deliver.
The story of Reginald and Rudolph Boulos is one of ambition, privilege, and controversy. Their careers began with medicine and the promise of improving Haitian lives through pharmaceuticals like the glycerine that sweetened medicine for children. But as their wealth and influence grew, they became symbols of the deep inequalities and corruption that have long shaped Haitian society.
For many Haitians, the Boulos name now carries two meanings: a reminder of the family that once helped deliver medicine and stability, and a symbol of how unchecked power can reshape a nation’s destiny. Whether their actions stemmed from genuine vision or personal gain remains a question that continues to divide the Haitian people.
Reginald ak Rudolph Boulos: Soti nan Medsin rive nan Pouvwa ak Kontwovès
Reginald ak Rudolph Boulos se de frè ki soti nan youn nan fanmi ki pi pwisan ak pi diskite nan peyi Ayiti. Non Boulos pote anpil pwa nan biznis, politik, ak medsin nan peyi a. Papa yo, Carlos Boulos, te tabli yon eritaj nan endistri famasetik ki te bay fanmi an yon pouvwa finansye ak aksè ke anpil moun nan peyi a pa t ka genyen.
Tou de frè yo te kòmanse karyè yo nan domèn medikal anvan yo te antre nan biznis ak politik. Travay yo nan famasi te ede konstwi imaj fanmi an kòm yon fanmi ki te angaje nan sante piblik Ayiti. Youn nan pwodwi ki te make anpil se te gliserin famasetik, yon engredyan senp men enpòtan ki sèvi pou bay gou dous nan medikaman likid pou timoun. Anplis bay bon gou, gliserin ede medikaman yo kenbe bon jan kalite yo pandan lontan. Pou anpil fanmi ayisyen, medikaman ki te fèt ak gliserin Boulos te vin tounen yon abitid chak jou. Li te senbolize swen ak aksè, pandan l ap bati an silans enpèri ekonomik fanmi an.
Reginald Boulos, ki te fèt an 1956, te kòmanse kòm doktè epi li te pousuiv etid nan sante piblik nan Inivèsite Tulane. Antre li nan biznis pandan ane 1990 yo make kòmansman yon gwo ekspansyon. Li te vin youn nan gwo figi nan sektè prive Ayiti, lidè nan bank, makèt, ak medya. Konpayi li yo, tankou Delimart ak Autoplaza, te fè li youn nan moun ki gen plis enfliyans nan peyi a. An 2019, li te fonde mouvman politik “Twazyèm Vwa,” yon platfòm ki ankouraje refòm ak patisipasyon jèn yo nan politik.
Pandan enfliyans Reginald t ap grandi, kontwovès yo te kòmanse parèt. An 2021, Inite Lutte Contre la Corruption (ULCC) te lanse yon ankèt sou li akoz akizasyon sou move itilizasyon lajan piblik ki te soti nan prè ak konpayi li yo. Menm si ankèt la te bloke pita, li te soulve anpil kesyon sou fason elit peyi a jere resous leta. Apre sa, an 2025, Reginald te fè tit entènasyonal lè sèvis imigrasyon ameriken (ICE) te arete li nan kay li nan Florid. Otorite ameriken yo te akize li kòm yon moun ki te sipòte gwoup vyolan ki destabilize Ayiti, epi ki te kache enfòmasyon enpòtan sou aplikasyon rezidans pèmanan li Ozetazini. Yon jij imigrasyon te deside kenbe li nan prizon pandan pwosesis la ap kontinye.
Rudolph Boulos te pran yon chemen ki yon ti jan diferan. Tankou frè li, li te fè etid nan medsin, men li te chwazi politik kòm misyon li. An 2006, li te eli Senatè pou depatman Nòdwès Ayiti. Li te antre nan Sena a ak pwomès pou modènize gouvènans ak pote devlopman. Men karyè politik li te byen vit pran yon lòt direksyon apre akizasyon te leve sou kesyon doub nasyonalite li, yon bagay lalwa ayisyen entèdi pou palmantè yo. Plis ta, Sena a te retire plas li apre ankèt te konfime li te vyole règleman konstitisyon an. Desizyon sa a te ouvri yon gwo deba piblik sou koripsyon, privilèj politik, ak kesyon lojalte nan mitan lidè peyi a.
Kontwovès ki antoure fanmi Boulos la pa limite sèlman ak Reginald ak Rudolph. Pandan plizyè ane, non fanmi an te site nan diskisyon sou koripsyon, blanchiman lajan, ak manipilasyon politik. Gen moun ki di fanmi Boulos la sèvi ak pouvwa finansye yo pou enfliyanse desizyon politik ak domine enstitisyon ekonomik peyi a. Lòt moun kwè yo te ede modènize ekonomi Ayiti, kreye travay, epi ofri sèvis leta pa t kapab bay.
Istwa Reginald ak Rudolph Boulos se yon konbinezon ant anbisyon, privilèj, ak kontwovès. Yo te kòmanse ak misyon pou amelyore lavi pèp ayisyen atravè medikaman ak pwodwi tankou gliserin ki te ede timoun bwè medikaman yo. Men pandan tan ap pase, richès ak enfliyans yo te tounen senbòl enjisitis ak pouvwa san kontwòl.
Pou anpil Ayisyen, non Boulos la gen de sans. Pou kèk, se fanmi ki te pote medikaman ak pwogrè, pou lòt se senbòl yon sistèm ki pèmèt kèk moun gen twòp pouvwa pandan majorite a ap lite. Kesyon an rete ouvè: èske aksyon yo te soti nan yon bon vizyon oswa nan enterè pèsonèl? Se yon kesyon ki kontinye divize pèp ayisyen jodi a.
