Haitian President assasinated at home, state of emergency declared
Haitian President Jovenal Moise was shot dead by gunmen operating heavy-caliber weapons in his private residence overnight on Wednesday. The assassination has ignited an international outcry as the Caribbean nation fears a descent into chaos.
The assassination coincided with a series of gang violence in Port-au-Prince in the past months, fueled by an alarming growth of humanitarian crises and political unrest. The disorder transformed many districts of the capital into no-go zones. Furthermore, the killing drew condemnation from Washington and neighboring Latin American countries.
After chairing a cabinet meeting, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a televised remark that the government had declared a state of emergency in the midst of confusion over the successor of the assassinated President. “My compatriots – remain calm because the situation is under control,” he said.
Martine Moise, the president’s wife, was also shot during the attack at around 1 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) at the home of the couple located in the hills above Port-au-Prince, Joseph said. She was reported to be receiving medical treatment.
“Early information suggests it was a group of people who spoke English and Spanish. They were armed with high-caliber weapons,” Joseph said in his address to the nation. He described the killing to be a “barbaric act”.
Joseph also said that the police and the army had the security of the situation under control. The bustling streets of the capital were observed to be quiet and empty on Wednesday morning after the attack and sporadic gunfire overnight.
According to the local media, the international airport of Port-au-Price was closed.
The international airport of Port-au-Prince was closed, according to local media. The airport director could not immediately be reached for comment. Additionally, The Dominican Republic closed the border it shares with Haiti on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, except to returning nationals, and beefed up security.
