Four “mercenaries” involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jouvenel Moyes have been killed and two others arrested, said Leon Charles, the police chief of Haiti, a country already in crisis.
President Moyes was assassinated by a group of gunmen who stormed his home. According to caretaker Prime Minister Claude Joseph, the perpetrators were “English-speaking foreigners”.
According to APE, the police reported last night that they were chasing alleged members of the group and that an operation was underway in the hills of the capital Port-au-Prince.
“Four mercenaries were killed, two were arrested. “Three policemen who were holding hostages were released,” the police chief said in statements that were broadcast live on Wednesday night (in the early morning hours today, Greek time).
Leon Charles added that the police continued the “battle” with the armed group, it has “surrounded” it and its members will either be “killed or arrested”.
No details were given, neither about the identity nor the motives of the perpetrators of the murder.
According to the Haitian press, citing the judge who undertook the investigation into the murder, the body of President Moyes was found with at least 12 bullet wounds, while his office and his room were up and down.
Earlier, Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a Creole-speaking speech that he had decided to “declare a state of siege throughout the territory”, thus giving the government increased powers for fifteen days.
He further added that “the assassins of Jouvel Mois will be paid for what they did before justice”.
According to Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Boxy Edmon, the gunmen were “professional” mercenaries pretending to be members of the US Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The president’s wife, Martin Moise, who was injured in the attack, which was committed around 01:00 (local time; 08:00 yesterday, Wednesday, Greek time), was flown to Miami.
“The first lady is out of danger, she was transported to Florida for treatment and, according to the information we have, her condition is stable,” Mr. Joseph said in a televised address yesterday.
The assassination of President Moyes threatens to further destabilize the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, which is already facing a double crisis, both in terms of political and public security.
The State Department has called on the Haitian authorities to hold as scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections in Haiti, scheduled for September 26, with a run-off on November 21.
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In Port-au-Prince, paralysis
The interim Prime Minister of Haiti called on the people to remain calm and informed that the police and the army will guarantee the maintenance of order.
After the news of the assassination of the head of state became known, all the activities, the operation of the shops, the transportation and so on. paralyzed in Port-au-Prince and in provincial towns, residents said.
The streets of the capital were calm. The presence of the police and the army did not seem to have increased.
US President Joe Biden has condemned the “heinous” assassination and said he was ready to help the country; the European Union has expressed concern about the “continuing escalation of violence” in Haiti. The UN Security Council, which is set to convene today to discuss the situation in the Caribbean, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of 53-year-old Jovenel Moise.
The Dominican Republic has announced the “immediate closure” of its border with Haiti – the two countries share the island of Espanyola.
Joanne Moyes, who belonged to the business world, was elected president in 2016, promising to develop the country’s economy, and took office on February 7, 2017. Although he was very active in various fields, including banana plantations, he had almost no no political experience when he was elected, while he was rather unknown to his compatriots.
Haiti has been facing a lot of insecurity lately due to the action of gangs armed to the teeth, who mainly commit kidnappings for ransom and enjoy almost absolute impunity. Criticized for her helplessness and inaction in the face of the crisis, Joubel Mois was faced with opposition from much of the so-called civil society and the opposition.
Although he ruled by decree from January 2020, without a parliament and during his term in office, he had put in place institutional reform.
He called for a referendum on the revision of the Constitution, which was originally scheduled for April, but was postponed for the first time to June 27, and then a second for September 26, due to the new coronavirus pandemic. This revision would at least strengthen in theory the powers of the executive.
Fear
The deteriorating situation in the country, however, was more evident than anywhere else on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
In June, clashes between rival gangs in the western part of the capital paralyzed traffic in the southern half of the country and in the city. Thousands of residents of the impoverished Martisan district, controlled by gangs, have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in relatives or gyms.
On June 30, 15 people were killed in a series of attacks in downtown Port-au-Prince, including journalist Diego Charles and opposition politician Antoinette Dickler.
In the political arena, Jouvenel Moise had appointed seven prime ministers during his term. The latter, Ariel Henry, did not manage to take office.
In a country of about 11 million people, political instability has been endemic for decades, despite the first of the Divalier dynasty dictatorship in 1986, with a series of coups and foreign interventions.
The Pan-American Health Agency said on Wednesday it feared the new crisis would hit efforts to bring the new coronavirus pandemic under control in Haiti – one of the few countries in the world where not a single vaccine has been given to date. for COVID-19.
