Port-au-Prince: Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated today and all are calling for unity and peace
July 7, 2021
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AGN.News) – Today, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse (53) was assassinated at around 1:00 am local time today, at his private residence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Global leaders and Haitians around the world are calling for unity and peace to strengthen democracy on this island nation, especially at this critical time.
What happened to the President
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and his wife First Lady Martine Moïse were at their private residence. at around 1:00 am, heavily armed gunmen entered the residence and assassinated him and critically wounded the First Lady. The Moise’s private residence is located in Petion-Ville, in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.
International figures reaction was swift
World leaders have condemned the assassination and denounced the attack, while expressing condolences and solidarity with the Haitian people.
The United States has condemned the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and urged Haiti to bring the attackers to justice.
A White House statement quoting President Joe Biden said: “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination – and the attack on First Lady Martine Moïse of Haiti. We condemn this heinous act, and I am sending my sincere wishes for First Lady Moïse’s recovery.”
President Biden told reporters today, “We need a lot more information … it’s been very worrisome about the state of Haiti”.
In Washington, the United States … State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated the United States’ condemnation of the attack that left President Jovenel Moïse dead and his wife First Lady Martine Moïse injured.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the assassination “in the strongest terms,” saying the “perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice.”
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for calm, saying he was “shocked and saddened” at Moise’s death.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñera called “for unity and peace to strengthen democracy and find a way out of the serious crisis that Haiti is going through”.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted: “Spain strongly condemns the assassination of the President of Haiti … We call for the unity of the political forces to find a way out of the serious crisis that the country experiences.”
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque condemned the “cowardly and barbaric” killing.
More challenges for Haiti
The coronavirus pandemic has been worsening in Haiti in recent weeks. The country is one of only a handful across the world that have not yet started vaccinating its people against the virus.
Haiti has reported more than 19,000 Covid-19 cases and 462 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE report. Mitigation efforts needs to scaled up dramatically to cope with sharply escalating cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Haiti is facing a dire economic situation. Its economy had been contracting as 60% of the population is now living in poverty, according to the World Bank.
This is an ongoing report, so stay tuned for updates.
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Written by
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