Haiti assassination: The gunmen were “professional” mercenaries pretending to be members of the US DEA, according to the Haitian ambassador to the US.
Four “mercenaries” allegedly involved in the assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Mois have been killed and two others arrested, said Leon Charles, the police chief, while the country is in chaos and has already been declared “under siege”. There is no danger of anarchy in the country, as according to the Guardian, according to the Constitution, the duties of the president should be taken over by the highest judicial official of the country, who died of a coronavirus a month ago and had not yet been elected new.
Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who also announced the assassination of the president, had been decided by the president to step down and his successor had been appointed. The planned procedures would take place on the day of the president's assassination, and so Joseph seems to remain in power as a “transitional prime minister”, although it is uncertain how long he will be accepted to run for office.
President Moyes was assassinated by a group of gunmen who stormed his home overnight, prompting questions about how they managed to break into it and then escape, while there is still no information on who is behind the political assassination. According to caretaker Prime Minister Claude Joseph, however, the perpetrators were “foreigners who spoke English and Spanish.” Police said they were pursuing alleged members of the assassination group and that an operation was under way in the hills of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Four mercenaries were killed
“Four mercenaries were killed, two were arrested. “Three police officers holding hostages have been released,” the police chief said in a statement broadcast live on television. Leon Charles added that the police continued the “battle” with the armed group, it has “encircled” it and its members will either be “killed or arrested” but no details were given, neither about the identity, nor about the motives. of the perpetrators of the murder. According to the Haitian press, citing the judge who undertook the investigation into the murder, President Moyes' body was found with at least 12 bullet wounds, while his office and room were upside down.
Earlier, Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who was about to step down, said in a Creole speech that he had decided to “declare a state of siege throughout the territory”, thus giving the government increased powers for another fifteen days. “The murderers of Joubel Moes will pay for what they did before justice.”
President Moyes's assassination threatens to further destabilize the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere
According to Haiti's ambassador to the United States, Boxi Edmon, the gunmen were “professional” mercenaries pretending to be members of the US Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The president's wife, Marten 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 the parliamentary and presidential elections in Haiti, scheduled for September 26, with a run-off on November 21.
Paralysis in Port-au-Prince
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 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 will convene today to discuss the situation in the Caribbean, has condemned in a “very strong way” the killing of 53-year-old Jovenel Mois.
Insecurity
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 his 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 deterioration of the situation in the country was, more than anywhere else, evident 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.
source: ALPHA FREE PRESS
