|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Antonio Chéramy, better known as Don Kato, is once again in the headlines, this time not for his music or his political standoffs but for his fall under the weight of international sanctions. In September 2025, the U.S. Department of State publicly designated him, alongside former deputy Arnel Bélizaire, for “significant corruption” during their time in public office. The designation, made under Section 7031(c) of the U.S. Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, renders both men and their immediate family members ineligible for entry into the United States.
According to the State Department, Chéramy and Bélizaire abused their positions by interfering with government processes in ways that destabilized Haitian institutions and impacted U.S. national interests. For Washington, the move was a signal of its commitment to accountability and to pressuring Haiti’s political class to break cycles of corruption.
The sanctions have shifted the narrative surrounding Don Kato. Once seen as an artist-turned-politician and a voice of resistance, he is now branded internationally as part of Haiti’s entrenched corruption problem. His supporters argue that this is another chapter in the political persecution he has faced, going back to the years when he was banned from Carnival. His critics, on the other hand, say the U.S. designation confirms what many suspected all along — that his populist stance was a mask for self-interest.
Clash With Joverlin Moïse
The controversy gained even more heat when Joverlin Moïse, the son of assassinated President Jovenel Moïse, declared in a recent interview that multiple political figures were responsible for his father’s death. Don Kato responded sharply, insisting that Joverlin “come correct and name names.” The exchange highlighted his defiant personality and his unwillingness to shy away from politically explosive topics, even while under scrutiny himself.
Long before the sanctions, Don Kato had already made his mark in Haitian politics. Elected Senator for the Ouest department in 2015, he became known for his fiery opposition to government decisions and his role in blocking the ratification of a Prime Minister in 2019. In 2018, he split from the VERITE party. During Michel Martelly’s presidency, his group Brothers Posse was barred from Carnival after releasing lyrics critical of the administration. He frequently said that artists must reflect reality, even if it upset those in power.
In 2019, Don Kato claimed the U.S. consulate had canceled his visa, and later the Dominican Republic reportedly restricted his entry over accusations of illegal activity.
Born on November 28, 1974 in Cité Lescot, Cap-Haïtien, Antonio Chéramy was first interested in soccer before turning to music under the encouragement of his mother, Simone Jean. He sang in churches such as Jean XXIII and Sacré Cœur, and learned mostly through experience. After moving to Port-au-Prince in the 1980s, he performed with Soukous Mizik before forming Brothers Posse, a band that mixed reggae, roots, and sharp social commentary. Through Brothers Posse, Don Kato built his reputation as a voice for the people, tackling issues of inequality, corruption, and injustice in his lyrics.
His fame expanded with acting roles in Haitian cinema. He starred in I Love You Anne (2003) and reprised his role in We Love You Anne (2013), making him a household name beyond the music stage.
Despite the sanctions and political controversies, Antonio Chéramy remains one of the most recognizable figures in Haitian culture. His music gave voice to frustration, his acting entertained audiences, and his political career showed his willingness to confront power. Now, as a sanctioned figure, he faces a legacy being rewritten in real time.
Whether he is remembered as a truth-telling artist, a flawed politician, or both will depend not only on how his current battles unfold but also on whether Haiti itself finds a way to distinguish between genuine resistance and the corruption that has long haunted its institutions.
Don Kato: Soti nan chantè rezistans rive kòm politisyen sanksyone
Antonio Chéramy, pi byen konnen kòm Don Kato, retounen nan tit jounal yo, fwa sa a non pa pou mizik li oswa batay politik li yo, men pou tonbe anba pwa sanksyon entènasyonal. Nan mwa septanm 2025, Depatman Deta Ameriken te piblikman mete non li ansanm ak ansyen depite Arnel Bélizaire sou lis moun ki enplike nan “koripsyon enpòtan” pandan tan yo te nan fonksyon piblik. Desizyon an, ki fèt anba Seksyon 7031(c) nan Lwa sou Apwopriyasyon Pwogram Operasyon Etranje ak Afè Relijye, fè yo menm ansanm ak fanmi pwòch yo pa gen dwa antre nan Etazini.
Dapre Depatman Deta, Chéramy ak Bélizaire te abize pozisyon yo lè yo te entèfere nan pwosesis gouvènman Ayiti nan yon fason ki te destabilize enstitisyon peyi a epi ki te afekte enterè nasyonal Etazini. Pou Washington, desizyon an se yon siy angajman li pou mande kont ak pou mete presyon sou klas politik Ayiti pou kase sèk koripsyon an.
Sanksyon yo chanje fason moun ap pale de Don Kato. Yon lè yo te wè l kòm yon atis ki tounen politisyen ak yon vwa rezistans, kounye a li make entènasyonalman kòm yon pati nan gwo pwoblèm koripsyon Ayiti. Sipòtè li yo di se yon lòt chapit nan pèsekisyon politik li ap sibi, ki te kòmanse depi lè yo te anpeche l patisipe nan Kanaval. Kritike li yo, pou kont yo, wè desizyon Etazini an kòm prèv sa yo te toujou sispèk: politik popilis li a te plis kouvèti pou enterè pèsonèl pase pou pèp la.
Konfwontasyon ak Joverlin Moïse
Kontwovès la te vin pi cho lè Joverlin Moïse, pitit gason ansyen Prezidan Jovenel Moïse ki te asasinen, deklare nan yon entèvyou dènyèman ke plizyè figi politik gen responsabilite nan lanmò papa li. Don Kato pa t pran tan pou reponn, li di Joverlin “fè bagay yo klè epi site non moun yo.” Repons sa a te montre ankò defi li ak volonte l pou l antre nan sijè politik ki pi sansib, menm lè li menm anba presyon.
Anvan sanksyon yo, Don Kato te deja make prezans li nan politik Ayiti. An 2015, li te eli Senatè Depatman Lwès la, kote li te vin konnen pou opozisyon dife kont desizyon gouvènman yo ak pou wòl li te jwe nan bloke ratifikasyon yon Premye Minis nan 2019. An 2018, li te separe ak pati VERITE. Pandan prezidans Michel Martelly, gwoup li Brothers Posse te entèdi nan Kanaval apre yo te lage chante ki te kritike gouvènman an. Li te toujou repete ke atis dwe reflete reyalite, menm lè sa fè moun ki gen pouvwa yo fache.
An 2019, Don Kato te di konsila Ameriken an te anile viza li, epi pita Repiblik Dominikèn te entèdi l antre nan peyi a sou akizasyon aktivite ilegal.
Antonio Chéramy fèt 28 novanm 1974 nan Cité Lescot, Kap Ayisyen. Okòmansman li te renmen foutbòl, men manman li, Simone Jean, te ankouraje l antre nan mizik. Li te chante nan legliz tankou Jean XXIII ak Sacré Cœur, kote li te aprann sitou atravè pratik. Nan ane 1980 yo, li te deplase pou Pòtoprens kote li te jwe ak Soukous Mizik anvan li te fòme Brothers Posse, yon gwoup ki te melanje reggae, rasin, ak pawòl ki pote anpil refleksyon sosyal. Avèk Brothers Posse, Don Kato bati repitasyon li kòm yon vwa pèp la, ki atake inegalite, koripsyon, ak enjistis nan chante li yo.
Li vin pi popilè tou gras ak fim ayisyen yo. Li te jwe nan I Love You Anne (2003) epi li retounen nan We Love You Anne (2013), sa ki fè non li tounen yon referans nan tout kay, pa sèlman sou sèn mizik la.
Malgre sanksyon yo ak tout kontwovès politik yo, Antonio Chéramy rete youn nan figi ki pi rekonèt nan kilti modèn ayisyen. Mizik li te bay pèp la yon vwa pou fristrasyon yo, sinema li te bay moun plezi, epi karyè politik li te montre volonte l pou l defye pouvwa. Kounye a, kòm yon moun ki anba sanksyon, li fè fas ak yon eritaj k ap ekri ankò an tan reyèl.
Kesyon an rete ouvè: èske listwa ap sonje Antonio Chéramy kòm yon atis k ap di laverite, yon politisyen ki te fè erè, oswa kòm toulede? Repons lan pral depann de kijan batay aktyèl li yo ap fini, men tou de kapasite Ayiti pou l separe vrè rezistans ak koripsyon ki fin ravaje enstitisyon l yo depi lontan.
