Jovenel Moïse, the president of Haiti since 2017, has been assassinated. He was 53 years old.
Joseph added that the group “attacked the private residence of the president of the Republic and mortally wounded him.”
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said it was “restricting its direct-hire U.S. citizen staff to the Embassy compounds in Tabarre until further notice,” noting theembassy would be closed Wednesdaydue to ‘‘an ongoing security situation."
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Jovenel Moïse.John Moore/Getty
Martine and Jovenel Moïse.Bahare Khodabande/Anadolu Agency/Getty
TheAssociated Pressreports that Joseph referred to the killing of Moïse as a “hateful, inhumane and barbaric act.”
“The country’s security situation is under the control of the National Police of Haiti and the Armed Forces of Haiti,” the prime minister added in his statement. “Democracy and the Republic will win.”
“We’re still gathering details, we’re still gathering specifics. And of course, our embassy and State Department will be in close touch,” continued Psaki, 42. “It’s a tragedy.”
Moïse’s tenure has been a controversial one, with many pointing fingers at the politician for failing to help the country progress financially as its residents continue to attempt to recover from the 2010 earthquake and2016’s Hurricane Matthew.
A woman who lives near the Moïses’ hometold the APthat the Wednesday attack sounded like “an earthquake,” as there was “so much shooting.”
“The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian,” she added.
source: people.com
