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As Haitian citizens were struggling with ongoing violence, a group of assassins broke into the home of President Jovenel and Firstlady Martine Moïse. The assassination left the First Lady wounded and Haiti in a state of crisis. The President’s tragic assassination happened on July 7, 2021. The news comes after months of controversy revolving around his current term.
Upheaval in Haiti
Although the commander in chief’s death was unexpected, the tension in Haiti had been building up long before his death. Much of the tension is due to President Moïse staying in office for more than five years. President Moïses’ term should have begun in 2016, but it began in 2017 due to contentions over the election. As a result, the former president felt entitled to another year in office.
Suspicions About Assassination
World leaders continue to show support for Haiti and President Moïses’ family. Haitian officials are trying to find the assassins behind the attack. In fact, according to The Washington Post, Haiti’s interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, revealed that some of the assassins spoke Spanish. Since Haiti is a French and Creole-speaking country, Spanish-speaking assassins suggest foreigners could be at fault.
Haitian officials are uncertain about who will step in to lead the country. Interim prime minister Joseph did not step down from his position as planned on Monday. However, due to this neurosurgeon, Ariel Henry was unable to step into the position. Not to mention many Haitian officials and citizens now feel unsafe due to the extreme gang violence. Therefore, Haiti will need a lot of help to calm the countries chaos.
Written by Reginae Echols
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
The Washington Post: What to know about Haiti, where President Jovenel Moïse was just assassinated; by Miriam Berger and Sammy Westfall
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Gobierno Danilo Medina’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Cambodia4kids.org Beth Kanter’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License