The president of Haiti, Jovenel Moise was killed in his home by a commando made up of “foreign elements”, said the outgoing Prime Minister Claude Joseph, adding that from now on he has taken over the reins of the country himself. The premier called on the population to calm down and assured that the police and the army will keep order.
The president’s wife, injured in the attack, later died. According to reports from the HaitiLibre news portal, the first lady died of serious injuries sustained in the attack. Haitian doctor Hans Lancer confirmed the news in a phone call to the radio show ‘Hoy Mismo’.
A commando armed with ‘mercenaries’, some of whom spoke Spanish, killed Moise towards the 1 local (the 7 Italians) in his residence, seriously injuring his wife, Lady Martine. News portal InfoHaiti.net published a statement from Prime Minister Joseph condemning what he described as a “hateful, inhuman and barbaric act”. The premier has called a special meeting of the security council, inviting the population to remain calm.
“The situation in the country – he claimed – is under the control of the national police and the Haitian armed forces”. The portal also reports from The Miami Herald newspaper that the attackers “claimed to be agents of the US Goddess”, according to a video taken by people who were in the Moïse residence. A Haitian government official, however, categorically denied that they could have been agents of the Goddess, and assured that “these were mercenaries”.
Residents reported seeing men in black camouflage wandering around the area and hearing shots from large-caliber weapons and flying drones. The US newspaper claims that “the death of the head of state will throw Haiti into very serious chaos”. Moïse, who took office in 2017, ruled by decree from January 2020, and without the presence of a Parliament. He faced growing protests from political, social and religious associations, which accused him of creating a profound political and constitutional crisis in Haiti, using armed gangs to stay in power. Just yesterday Moïse had appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to prepare the country for the elections that would lead to the holding of a constitutional referendum and the election of a president and a new parliament on 26 September.
Jovenel Moise killed by a commando raid
