Army men killed the Haitian president at home, a state of emergency declared by Reuters

By the hand of Andre Paultre

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Haitian President Jovenel Moise was shot dead by gunmen in his private residence on Wednesday, sparking an international outcry amid fears of chaos in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

Washington condemned the bombing https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-assessing-tragic-attack-that-killed-haiti-president-white-house-2021-07-07 and surrounding Latin American countries, in recent months the growth has been fueled by a wave of violence by groups in Port-au-Prince driven by humanitarian crises and political unrest https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitis-history-violence-turmoil- 2021-07-07. The unrest has turned many of the capital’s districts into places to visit.

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph has said in a televised statement that after addressing a cabinet meeting, the government has declared a state of emergency in the mix of who would take over the country’s ruling stick. “My countrymen – stay calm because the situation is under control,” he said.

The wife of 53-year-old President Martine Moise was also shot in the attack at around 1am (05am GMT) at the couple’s home in the hills above Port-au-Prince, Joseph said in a statement. He was receiving medical treatment.

“Early reports suggest it was a group of people who spoke English and Spanish. They were armed with high-caliber weapons,” Joseph said in a speech to the nation. He said the murder was a “savage act”.

In videos circulating on social media that Reuters could not yet verify, the armed men claimed to be members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when they entered Moses ’guarded residence. A DEA spokesman did not immediately respond to the request for comment.

Joseph said police and the army were in control of the security situation. Normally the bustling capital of a million people was quiet and empty on Wednesday morning between attack and intermittent shooting during the night.

Port-au-Prince International Airport was closed, according to local media. The airport manager could not be reached immediately for comments.

As Haiti is politically polarized and hunger is growing, fears of a breakdown of order are spreading.

The Dominican Republic closed its border with Haiti on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, with the exception of foreigners, and improved security.

“This crime is an attack on the democratic order in Haiti and the region,” said Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader.

Leaders around the world condemned the assassination and called for calm.

“We are ready to help as long as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti,” said US President Joe Biden, who denounced the killing as “horrific” https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-assessing- haiti -president-white-house-tragic-attack-2021-07-07 and the situation is called worrying.

Jose called on the United Nations Security Council to meet as soon as possible. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not immediately respond to his appeal, but said the world organization would “continue with https://news.trust.org/item/20210707134902-xg7zy and the people of Haiti.”

Diplomats in New York said a 15-member council is likely to meet in the coming days to report the murder.

It was not clear who would replace Moses as president. He has just been appointed the new prime minister this week. Head of the Supreme Court of Justice – Another candidate for the job according to the Haitian constitution died last month COVID-19 and has yet to be replaced.

HISTORY TURBULENCE

Haiti, a country of about 11 million people and the poorest in the western hemisphere, has struggled for stability since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, and has faced coups and some foreign interventions.

The UN peacekeeping mission – a revolt aimed at restoring order in 2004 after an hour-long Jean-Bertrand Aristide uprising – ended in 2019 with the country still in disarray https://www.reuters.com/article/us-haiti-politics-idUSKBN1WU2SP. In recent years, Haiti has suffered a number of natural disasters, and there was still one major earthquake in 2010.

After taking office as president in 2017, Moise, a politician who became a banana exporter, faced stark protests over allegations of corruption and the management of the economy.

This year, opposition leaders accused him of trying to install a dictatorship, overcoming his mandate and making him more authoritarian. He denied these allegations.

Moses ruled by decree for more than a year since the country did not hold legislative elections, and he said he wanted to push for a controversial constitutional reform that would definitely solve the problems that cause Haiti’s instability.

The U.S. Embassy said it will be closed on Wednesday due to the “ongoing security situation.”

The United States is assessing a “tragic attack,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in Washington.

“We are ready and we are by their side to provide the support we need,” he said. “Sure, our embassy and the Department of State will be in close contact, but it’s a tragedy. We’re with them and it’s important that the people of Haiti know that.”

The United States, Haiti’s main aid provider and which has long had an excessive weight in its policy, condemned the country on June 30 as a violation of human rights, fundamental freedoms and systematic attacks on the press. The Biden administration called on the Haitian government to address the proliferation of gangs and violence.