Haiti in turmoil: President Moïse has been assassinated at home
Gunmen killed Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Gunmen killed Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in an early night raid on their home, sparking a series of unrest in a Caribbean country already tolerating gang violence, inflation and inflation.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who confirmed the killings, said police and soldiers were in charge of security in Haiti, the poorest country in the United States where a long history of dictatorships and political upheaval had long hindered democracy.
Without Joseph's confirmation that the order would work, there was confusion over who should take control and widespread concern for the people of Haiti. Authorities declared a "state of siege" in the country and closed the international airport.
The main busy streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, were empty and quiet on Wednesday. Gunfire was heard in the distance, the passing of public goods was in short supply, with some people demanding that businesses be opened for food and water. Businesses had been robbed in one place earlier.
Bocchit Edmond, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, said the 53-year-old Moïse's attack was "carried out by foreign troops and expert - well-organized assassins," and that they pretended to be agents of the US Drug Enforcing Administration. .
Moïse's wife, Martine, was in a stable condition but the situation was critical and efforts were being made to take her to Miami for treatment, Edmond said in Washington.
Haiti has called on the U.S. government to help with the investigation, he said, adding that the killers could have fled the border to the Dominican Republic or to the sea.
The Dominican Republic has said it is closing the border and tightening security in the area, describing the border as "completely silent."
Haiti appeared to be fighting for a change in development ahead of national elections later this year. Moïse has been in power for more than a year after failing to hold elections, and the opposition has demanded his resignation in recent months, saying he is referring to another painful dictatorship.
Joseph said the heavily armed gunmen spoke Spanish or English, but did not provide details about the attack.
It was proof of Haiti's fragile political situation that Joseph, who was to become prime minister for a while, finds himself in power. Joseph was considered Moïse's protection.
But Haiti seems to have a few other options. A Supreme Court judge, who may be expected to help provide stability in crisis, recently died with COVID-19.
Opposition groups called for a boycott of the killings.
The groups added that they hoped the national police would take all necessary steps to protect lives and property, and called on the people of Haiti to be "extremely vigilant."
Joseph is likely to lead Haiti at the moment, although that could change in a nation where constitutional principles are upheld, said Alex Dupuy, a Haitian-born sociologist who teaches at Wesleyan University in the United States.
The best case scenario would be for the acting Prime Minister and the opposition parties to come together and hold elections, Dupuy said.
“But, in Haiti, nothing can be taken lightly. It depends on how the balance of power in Haiti plays out, ”said the academic, who described the situation as dangerous and unstable. The Haitian police force is already facing the latest violence in Port-au-Prince, which has left more than 14,700 people homeless, he said.
Former President Michel Martelly, who succeeded Mo, se, called his assassination "a serious matter for our country and the democracy of Haiti, which is struggling to find its way."
Joseph condemned the president's assassination as "a hateful, inhuman and degrading act."
"The national security situation is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti," Joseph said in a statement from his office. "Democracy and the Republic will win."
U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "shocked and saddened to hear of the brutal killings," and condemned "such a heinous act."
"The United States sends its condolences to the people of Haiti, and we are ready to help as we continue to work for a safer Haiti," Biden said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the killings with "strong words" and stressed that "the perpetrators must face the full force of the law," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The Security Council arranged a special meeting in Haiti on Thursday morning.
Governments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and elsewhere also express concern for the plight of Haiti.
A resident living near the president's home said he had heard the attack.
"I thought there was an earthquake, there was a big shooting," said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared for her life. "The president has had problems with many people, but it is not the way we expected him to die. This is something I would never have dreamed of in any of Haiti. ”
The U.S. embassy in Haiti has said it is limiting American workers in its companies and that the embassy will be closed on Wednesday. '
President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic has met with his military and police chiefs to discuss plans to tighten border security with Haiti following the killings.
It is too early to know exactly what will happen next, said Jonathan Katz, who had hailed Haiti from The Associated Press and wrote a book on the devastating earthquake.
"At this hour, we don't know who did this, what their last game was, what else they planned," he said, noting that Moïse had a long list of opponents. “There were a lot of people who wanted him to leave. There were many people he wanted to leave. ”
Katz noted that most Haitian presidents have been ousted, even though more than a century have passed since the assassination.
"It appears to be a well-funded project," he said, adding that authorities could spend days trying to reconcile what had happened. "That's the question: Who's behind it and what are they looking for?"
Moïse was assassinated a day after appointing Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon, as Haiti's new prime minister. Joseph took over as caretaker Prime Minister in April following the resignation of the previous Prime Minister, Joseph Jouthe - the last in the prime minister's running office.
Haiti's economic, political, and social problems have intensified in recent years, with widespread gang violence in Port-au-Prince, rising inflation, and food and fuel have become more frequent in a country where 60% of the population makes less than $ 2 a day. These problems come as Haiti is still struggling to recover from the devastating earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew, which struck in 2016.
Opposition leaders have accused Moïse of plotting to overthrow him, including approving a ruling by a court ruling examining government contracts and by setting up an intelligence agency accountable only to the president.
The president has faced major protests in recent months that have turned violent as opposition leaders and their supporters rejected his plans to hold a constitutional referendum and proposals to strengthen the presidency.
Months ago, opposition leaders demanded his resignation, saying his term officially ended in February 2021. Moïse and his supporters continue to claim that his term began when he took office in early 2017, following a tumultuous election that forced interim presidential elections. to serve during a year-long gap.
In May, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced an 18-month extension of the temporary legal status of Haitians living in the US, citing serious security concerns (Haiti), civil unrest, increasing human rights abuses, impoverished poverty, and deprivation. of resources, exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic. ”
The award has benefited about an estimated 100,000 people who came after the devastating earthquake in 2010 in Haiti and are not eligible for a Temporary Secure Status, which provides shelter for refugees fleeing civil war or natural disasters.
0 Comments