The government in Haiti has declared a state of emergency following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. The measure is intended to trace those responsible for the attack and will remain in effect for two weeks.
President Moïse was attacked last night by heavily armed attackers shot dead at his home near the capital Port-au-Prince. His wife, Martine Moïse, was injured and is in hospital in critical condition. She is being transferred to Miami for further treatment, according to the Haitian ambassador to the US.
The ambassador said the murder was the work of “well-trained commandos” and “foreign mercenaries” dressed as DEA agents.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who says he is now in charge, spoke of a “barbaric act”. According to him, the attackers were “foreigners who spoke English and Spanish”. The official languages in Haiti are Creole and French. The interim prime minister gave no further details about the attack, nor did he say whether any suspects had been arrested.
Interim-premier
Joseph called on the population to calm down. “The situation is under control,” he said. “Democracy and the republic will win.”
It is not yet known how it will continue. The president just yesterday appointed a new prime minister, but this Ariel Henry had yet to be sworn in. One of the most logical choices for the office of president, the head of the Supreme Court, died of corona last month. No successor had yet been named. Claude Joseph had only been interim Prime Minister since April, after the resignation of the previous Prime Minister.
Natural disasters, violence and poverty
Haiti’s recent history has been marked by political disorder. Jovenel Moïse came to power in 2017 after chaotic elections. He was soon charged with corruption and in the spring thousands of protesters demanded his departure.
In February, Moïse let more than twenty opponents picking up who he said were preparing a coup. Furthermore, the president was at loggerheads with the opposition about when his term would expire, this year or next.
There are fears that the murder will further exacerbate unrest in Haiti, which, in addition to administrative chaos, also suffers from corruption, natural disasters, violence and poverty. Nearly 60 percent of the country’s residents live below the poverty line.
Global Responses
UN Secretary-General Guterres has condemned the assassination “in the strongest terms”. Similar voices are heard from the rest of the international community.
The Dominican Republic has closed its borders with its only immediate neighbor Haiti after the murder. “This crime is an attack on the democracy of Haiti and the region,” Dominican President Luis Abinador said.
Haitian Interim Prime Minister Joseph has asked the United Nations to convene the Security Council as soon as possible.
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