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Photo of Joseph Michel Martelly

Photo: US Department of State / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Joseph Michel Martelly

ミシェル・マテリ / みしぇる・まてり

Politician from Haiti

February 12, 1961 (age 65) ・ Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti

  • Ouest
  • politician
  • musician
  • singer-songwriter

My Take

Michel Martelly is one of the more complicated figures I've come across here. Going from a popular Haitian musician to the 47th president of Haiti, serving from 2011 until his 2016 resignation, is a remarkable arc on paper. But I can't write about him honestly without noting the 2024 U.S. sanctions accusing him of drug trafficking and sponsoring gangs, allegations that cast a long shadow over the celebrity-to-statesman story. It's a stark case of how charisma and a stage presence can carry someone into power, and how that same trajectory can curdle into something far darker than entertainment.

Overview

Michel Joseph Martelly (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl ʒozɛf maʁtɛli]; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who served as the 47th president of Haiti from 2011 until his resignation in 2016. On 20 August 2024, the United States sanctioned him for trafficking drugs, in particular cocaine, into the United States, and for sponsoring several gangs based in Haiti.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English)
Joseph Michel Martelly
Name (Japanese)
ミシェル・マテリ
Reading
みしぇる・まてり
Born
February 12, 1961 (age 65)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
Aquarius / Ox
Origin
Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
Blood type
Private
Height
Private
Agency
Private
Occupation
politician / musician / singer-songwriter / President of the Republic

2. Background

Elementary school
Private
Junior high
Private
High school
Private
University
Miami Dade College

3. Relationships

Spouse
Private
Children
Private
Parents
Private
Siblings
Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

Politician — see all → · Musician — see all → · More people from Haiti →

7. About this entry

Tags

  • Ouest
  • politician
  • musician
  • singer-songwriter
Last updated
2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.