Sophia Martelly

Sophia Martelly
Martelly in 2014
First Lady of Haiti
In role May 14, 2011 – February 7, 2016
President	Michel Martelly
Preceded by	Elisabeth Delatour Préval
Succeeded by	Ginette Michaud Privert
Personal details
Born	Sophia Saint-Rémy (1965-10-09) October 9, 1965 (age 59) New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse	Michel Martelly ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	Olivier Sandro Yani Malaika

Sophia Saint-Rémy Martelly (born October 9, 1965) is a Haitian health activist, politician, and former first lady of Haiti from May 14, 2011, until February 7, 2016. She is the wife of the former president of Haiti, Michel Martelly.^[1] She focused on issues related to public health, healthcare and alleviating malnutrition during her tenure as first lady.^[2]

Biography

Early life and marriage

Martelly was born by Sophia Saint-Rémy on October 9, 1965, in New York City in the United States.^[1][3] Her father, Charles Edouard Saint-Rémy, was from Gonaïves, and her mother, Mona Lisa Florez, is from Port-au-Prince. The Saint-Rémy family is originally from Gonaïves, where Sophia Saint Rémy was raised.^[4][5] The Saint-Remys suffered under the dictatorship of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier; her grandmother was arrested and detained by Duvalier and two of her paternal relatives were executed during his dictatorship.^[5]

Saint-Rémy and her future husband, the singer and politician Michel Martelly, had been friends when they were children, but had lived separate lives as young adults.^[4] He migrated to the United States with his American first wife during the 1980s.^[6]

In 1986, Martelly divorced his first wife and returned to Haiti.^[6] Saint-Rémy and Martelly, who were childhood friends, reunited in 1987, shortly after he moved back to the country.^[4] When they tried to marry, both of their mothers objected based on their skin color: she has lighter skin, while he has a darker complexion.^[5] They ignored their parents' protests and, instead, moved together to Miami, Florida, later in 1987. where they married in a small 1987 wedding ceremony. He worked in construction, while she worked as a word processor. They returned to Haiti in 1988^[5] and had four children, Olivier, Alexandre, Yani and Michel.^[4]

Their early marriage was different from Martelly's onstage "Sweet Mickey" persona. He imposed a curfew on her and forbade her to chew gum as recently as the late-1990s. She is four years younger than her husband.^[5]

The couple lived in a condominium in Miami Beach, Florida, during the mid-1990s.^[5]

References

1. • Charles, Jacqueline (April 23, 2015). "First Lady Sophia Martelly Joins Candidates for Haitian Parliament". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
   • Charles, Jacqueline (May 12, 2015). "Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly reviewing options after candidacy rejected". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
2. • Charles, Jacqueline (February 6, 2016). "More showman than statesman, Haiti's Martelly exits power". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
   • Presutti, Carolyn (November 8, 2011). "Haiti's First Lady Champions Social Causes". Voice of America. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
   • Britell, Alexander (August 13, 2012). "Interview with Haiti First Lady Sophia Martelly". Caribbean Journal. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
3. Ives, Kim (March 17, 2016). "Sophia Martelly a-t-elle vraiment renoncé à sa citoyenneté américaine?" [Has Sophia Martelly really renounced her American citizenship?]. Haïti Liberté (in French). Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
4. "State Visit of His Excellency Michel Joseph Martelly, President of the Republic of Haiti". Jamaica Information Service (Press release). November 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
5. Ackerman, Elise (May 29, 1997). "His Music Rules in Haiti". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
6. "From pop star to presidency". Shenzhen Daily. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2019.