Haitian President Jovenel Moïse Was Assassinated At Home, According To The Acting PM
Updated July 7, 2021 at 10:13 AM ET
Jovenel Moïse, Haiti's embattled president who thrust the country into deeper political turmoil during his tumultuous one term in office, was assassinated overnight at his private residence, according to the country's acting prime minister.
Prime Minister Claude Joseph said a group of people attacked the president's private residence and killed him, calling it an "odious, barbaric" act.
"Every measure is being taken to guarantee the continuity of the state to protect the nation," Joseph said in the statement.
The first lady was wounded by a bullet and is receiving care, he added.
Moïse came to power in 2017 after a lengthy election process that was marred by delays and accusations of fraud.
Although he had never held political office before, Moïse was tapped for the post by the country's previous president Michel Martelly, who stepped down in 2016 without a successor in place.
Moïse was a wealthy businessman who'd made his fortune exporting fruit, earning him the moniker of "The Banana Man."
More recently, Moïse had been under pressure to resign in February of this year at what opponents considered the end of his five-year term. He had insisted he still had another year as president because he took office late.
Moïse, who had seven different prime ministers during his brief stint in office, had been ruling by decree for more than a year since the legislature was disbanded.
The political upheaval in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere sparked ongoing political protests and an uncontrolled crime wave fueled by gangs. Rival gangs control some important areas of the country, and kidnappings are on the rise as well as food and fuel shortages.
On Monday, Moïse announced he was appointing a new prime minister, Dr. Ariel Henry, who was tasked with unifying the government and preparing for elections scheduled for later this year.
The streets of the capital Port-au-Prince were largely empty early Wednesday morning, though some people ransacked businesses in one area, The Associated Press reported.
Joseph said without explanation that some of the unknown attackers were speaking Spanish. The primary languages in Haiti are French and Haitian Creole. [Copyright 2021 NPR]
