Haiti’s president assassinated

Security forces conduct an investigation as a soldier stands guard at the entrance to the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, July 7.

Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise was killed in an attack at his residence after a group of unidentified individuals stormed his home at around 1 a.m. local time.

The country’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph said the president was killed in a “highly coordinated attack by a highly trained and heavily armed group.”

Here’s what else we know:

Amnesty International has called for investigations into the killing of the Haitian president and the alleged “grave human rights violations” under his watch.  

The group called the assassination and the shooting of the Haitian first lady, “a shocking indicator of the serious human rights and political crisis that Haiti has been facing for years.”

In a statement, Amnesty said it is concerned about the potential escalation of violence in coming days and will be carefully monitoring any potential protests that ensue, attacks against human rights defenders, and attacks against ordinary Haitians.

The organization called on the Haitian authorities to put human rights at the center of their response to the political crisis.

The Americas director at Amnesty International Erika Guevara-Rosassaid said “the killing of President Jovenel Moïse must be immediately and impartially investigated alongside the grave human rights violations and chronic impunity that ordinary people have suffered under his watch.” 

Amnesty International also called on the international community to provide all assistance to the country to find ways to de-escalate violence and provide human rights protection, including for journalists and human rights defenders.

In May, the Biden administration granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country.

Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond

The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise was carried out by “professional killers” who may still be in the country, the Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond told CNN Wednesday evening.

“We can say for certain they were professional killers. It was a well-orchestrated attack against the president,” Edmond said.

Edmond said the motivations of the assassins are unclear, but he believes it was a politically motivated killing.

The assassins presented themselves as DEA agents, Edmond said, and are believed to be from outside of Haiti.

The US State Department has denied the attackers were DEA agents. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said those claims were “absolutely false.”

“We will put all necessary resources to make sure we apprehend them,” Edmond added.

Edmond said Haiti’s first lady Martine Moise, who was shot and injured in the attack, was evacuated to Miami where she is being treated.

“We hope the doctors will find a way to save her life,” Edmond said, “We keep her in our prayers.”

Watch here:

Haiti's acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph

Haiti has declared a two-week period of national mourning following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

The tribute to Moise is scheduled to start Thursday and end on July 22, according to an official decree published Wednesday.

The decree also detailed the “state of siege” which has been declared in Haiti for a period of 15 days following the assassination.

Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack and earlier declared the “state of siege” after a council of ministers meeting Wednesday morning.  

More context: Under Haitian law, there are three levels of emergency, starting with a “state of emergency,” followed by a “state of siege”, and finally the highest level of emergency, which is the “state of war.”  

A state-of-siege means all borders are closed and martial law is temporarily imposed, with Haiti’s military and the Haiti National Police (HNP) empowered to enforce the law.   

Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond

The future leadership of Haiti is not yet clear, the Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond told CNN, following the overnight assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He has declared a “state of siege” in Haiti, saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.”

Edmond said he doesn’t know if there is a timeline or deadline for a formal announcement of succession.

Haiti’s president of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, recently died of Covid-19. His funeral was due to take place Wednesday.

The president of the National Association of Haitian Judges Judge Jean Wilner Morin told CNN that for Joseph to formally replace the president, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct.

Complicating the line of succession even further, Moise had appointed another prime minister, Dr. Ariel Henry, just two days ago.

Edmond couldn’t say if Henry will remain in his role as new prime minister. He also said it’s not clear if the presidential and local elections expected to take place in September will go ahead.

Edmond also said he wasn’t aware of any specific threat to the president’s life ahead of the assassination.

“But what I can refer you to, I can refer you to the last interview he gave in January to in Spanish newspaper, where he said that a lot of people want him killed. For his reforms. That’s the only thing I can tell you,” he said.

More details: Edmond added Haiti has formally requested assistance from the US and is waiting for a response.

“We’ve been talking with US authorities about this situation. And it’s being considered, I don’t know exactly how they are considering it, but we did request formally assistance from the United States, one with the investigation, and secondly with the security situation,” he said.

Edmond said the UN Security Council is expected to meet on the situation in Haiti on Thursday.

“Hopefully, the UN will take more bold actions to strengthen our security. Because it’s really a problem for us now,” he said.  

A Haitian police officer stands guard outside of the presidential residence on July 7, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The United States has again condemned the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and urged Haiti to bring the attackers to justice.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated the United States’ condemnation of the attack that left the president dead and the first lady injured. 

Price said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was briefed on the assassination and the security situation in Haiti. He added that the Department has been in regular contact with acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph.  

He said the US Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison has been in regular contact with a range of Haitian officials.

“Secretary Blinken started his day this morning with a comprehensive update on the situation on the ground, including the latest developments as we knew them at the time, the security situation. He was briefed by Ambassador Sison, who at this moment happens to be in Washington,” he said at a press briefing Wednesday.

“He was also on the phone with the DCM (Deputy Chief of Mission) who is on the ground in Haiti right now, DCM Nicole Theriot, as well as other members of his team. So we are prepared to receive additional requests for assistance from Haitian authorities.”

Price called on all political parties, civil society groups, and stakeholders to echo the call for calm from acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph.  

State Department spokesperson Ned Price

The United States has denied a suggestion the attackers who assassinated President Jovenel Moise were Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said those claims were “absolutely false”.

Earlier, the Haitian Ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond said that video from the scene showed the attackers speaking Spanish and said they presented themselves as Drug and Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agents. 

“I believe they are fake DEA agents,” he told reporters. Edmond added the attackers are believed to be “mercenaries,” referring to them as “well-trained killers.”

Price noted “the Haitian Ambassador himself has dismissed these allegations.”

The attackers who assassinated President Jovenel Moise are believed to be “mercenaries,” Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond said, referring to them as “well-trained killers.”

He said video from the scene showed them speaking Spanish and said they presented themselves as Drug and Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agents.

“We don’t know how they came in,” Edmond said, adding that they did not know if the attackers were still in the country. He said if they have left, it would be via a land border with the Dominican Republic because Haiti would have detected a plane leaving and the airport has been closed since the attack. He said the airport would reopen “once we have this situation under control.”

He stressed the importance of the international community’s assistance in carrying out an investigation and also pointed to the need for security, specifically saying that they need armed forces, not local police, to protect their borders.

Edmond added, “If the border was well protected by the armed forces, it would have been difficult, because the national police doesn’t have that mission to protect borders.” 

The ambassador said he had been in touch with the White House, State Department and his counterpart, the US ambassador to Haiti.

The Dominican Republic’s flight authority has suspended “air operations to and from the Republic of Haiti,” according to a statement from the country’s Civil Aviation Board (JAC) obtained by CNN on Wednesday. 

Following the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, JAC President Marte Piantini ordered that all flights, exempting those of Dominican Republic nationals and diplomatic personnel seeking to return from Haiti, be suspended.

Those passengers “must present identification as proof of their nationality or diplomatic status,” the statement added.

Haitian Times newspaper publisher and journalist Vania Andre, tells CNN she is concerned about the potential of street violence following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

The Haitian Times is considered an influential newspaper for Haitians living in the US.

In a statement to CNN, Andre said: 

Andre went on to explain the impact the assassination of Moise could have on Haitians living in the US:

“This generation of Haitians in the Diaspora is living in two worlds, where they are confronted with the challenges of being Black in America, championing Black Lives Matter, fighting against gun violence, and impacted by what they see happening with George Flloyd, Breonna Taylor and the countless other black Americans that have died at the hands of police, while also dealing with the persistent political and social problems in Haiti that also have racial and class undertones.  

For a while Haitians in the Diaspora were hopeful about Haiti’s future, especially given the outpouring of support for the country in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. There was a sense that Haiti was going to build back bigger and better. Folks left their corporate jobs and stability in the U.S. to  be a part of that reawakening for Haiti, and sadly the reality has been the complete opposite, and Moise’s assassination is the final nail in the coffin for them. 

This is a generation of change, anyone who had a nonprofit, a business, an idea for initiatives that support sustainability in the country, will now think twice on whether Haiti is worth it.”

Bullet holes can be seen on the walls outside the home of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moise, who was killed during an attack on his private residence early on Wednesday.

Haitian first lady Martine Moise was also shot in the attack and arrangements are being made to move her to a hospital in Florida for treatment.

Prime Minister Claude Joseph said a group of unidentified people stormed Moise’s home at around 1 a.m. and fatally wounded the head of state. He described the assassination as a “heinous, inhumane and barbaric act.”

Military personnel from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Defense have been deployed by air, land and water to monitor the border region with Haiti on Wednesday, the defense ministry tells CNN.

The deployment was launched after a meeting involving the Security and National Defense Council, led by the Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader.

Members of the military are seen near the hospital where Haitian first lady Martine Moise was taken on July 7.

Arrangements are being made to move the Haitian first lady Martine Moise to a hospital in Miami for treatment, the Haitian ambassador to the US Bocchit Edmond said.

The first lady was injured in the attack in which her husband President Jovenel Moise, was assassinated.  

Speaking at a virtual briefing with reporters Wednesday, Edmond described the first lady’s condition as stable but critical.

Haiti’s prime minister earlier said the first lady was shot in the attack and was receiving “the necessary treatment” for her injuries.

To mark the ten-year anniversary of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, CNN’s Caitlin Hu last year interviewed Moise about the future of his presidency amid corruption allegations.

Here’s a look back at what he had to say in 2020:

On the image of Haiti in the world today:

“I will tell you the truth: The image that we have today of Haiti, there are countries that discourage their citizens from coming to Haiti due to political trouble and turbulence…I know we need unity, solidarity, to learn to live together. That solidarity that we had in the wake of the (2010) earthquake, we need that solidarity with actors in the country to put the country on the path toward change, toward economic growth.

“(My administration) has seen that the State is not in service to the people. It was a revelation. I am working myself as head of state to put the country to the service of the people. How to do that? We have to rethink the very architecture of the state project.” 

On corruption in the country (which the opposition accused Moise of allowing to flourish):

“It has not been easy for my presidency, because as you know there is a system: The state has been taken hostage, the state has been captured. The state has been captured by corrupt oligarchs …and they use what I would call subterfuges to make people believe in them and to control public opinion. This corruption problem, there are many cases here.

Responding to critics calling for him to resign:

“We are going to work to change the constitution and have legislative and local elections. Under the protection of the new constitution, Haiti will finally begin to live. There is no choice but to work together, in solidarity – it is an obligation to unite around this goal.” 

On the gutting of parliament:

“This is a serious situation, but one we have known in the previous three decades. Between 1990 and 1999, we had a similar situation under president René Préval, and we spent more than a year without a parliament in this country. And then in 2015, I believe under President Martelly, we spent 12 months, perhaps even 15 months, without parliament. So this isn’t a completely unprecedented situation. 

“The country will continue to live without a parliament. We will continue to direct the country.”

On whether he would accept being evacuated from the country, in the case of another earthquake:

“Ah no. Never.”

TOPSHOT - People walk on the deserted road ahead of gang shootings in downtown in Port-au-Prince, on December 20, 2019. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Ten years after a devastating earthquake, some Haitians say they're losing hope

Marie Rose Emile watches over her 6-month-old grandson Jonise as he is treated for malnutrition at the Hospital of Immaculate Conception, in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Wednesday, May 26. 

Haiti’s political crisis will only deepen in the wake of the president’s assassination, but the impoverish Caribbean nation is also facing a dire economic situation.

Its economy had been contracting even before the pandemic, and shrunk a further 3.8% in 2020. About 60% of the population is now living in poverty, according to the World Bank.

UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s agency, said in May that severe acute childhood malnutrition was expected to more than double this year as the country grapples with rising violence, the pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services.

The agency warned that more than 86,000 children under five could be affected – more than double when compared with the previous year.

Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in May that she was “saddened to see so many children suffering” after a weeklong visit. “Without additional, urgent funding in the next few weeks, the life-saving treatment we are providing against malnutrition will be discontinued and some children will be at risk of dying,” she added.

UNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year.

An estimated 217,000 children under the age of five could suffer from acute malnutrition this year compared to 134,000 during the same period in 2020, according to the United Nations’ children’s agency.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemns “in the strongest terms” the assassination of the Haitian president, his spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

Guterres is the latest to voice their concern at the assassination and escalating political uncertainty in Haiti.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was “sending a hug to the people of Haiti” during a Wednesday press briefing. He recalled Moise attending his own inauguration and said Mexico was about to send 150,000 vaccine doses to the country as it is “very much in need of international help.”

His Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Piñera, declared the assassination “cowardly” and called for “unity and peace to strengthen democracy and find a way out of the serious crisis that Haiti is going through.” 

France’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian echoed the sentiments of other politicians, before adding, “All light must be shed on this crime which takes place in a very degraded political and security climate. I invite all actors in Haitian political life to calm and restraint.”

The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights expressed its “consternation and condolences” in the face of “the brutal assassination” of President Moise, Tania Reneaum, IACHR’s executive secretary said during a press conference in Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also shared his shock at Moise’s “tragic” passing and expressed his “deepest condolences.”

President Joe Biden talks to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Wednesday, July 7.

US President Joe Biden expressed concern over the overnight assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. 

“We need a lot more information – but it’s – it’s just – it’s been very worrisome about the state of Haiti,” he told reporters before departing on a visit to Illinois. 

In a statement released by the White House, Biden also condemned the killing as a “heinous act.”

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination of President Jovenel Moïse 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,” the statement read.

“The United States offers condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti.”

Haitian economist and anti-corruption activist Emmanuela Douyon, who has emerged as one of the leading voices of the country’s opposition movement, told CNN she was “shocked” by news of Jovenel Moise’s assassination.

Douyon said the attack showed “the extent to which violence reigns in Haiti.”

A vehicle leaves the entrance to the residence of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Wednesday.

Claude Joseph, Haiti’s interim prime minister, has called for calm as details emerge about the circumstances of the attack on Jovenel Moise’s residence overnight. In a statement, Joseph blamed the assassination on a “highly trained and heavily armed group.”

Here’s the full statement:

“It is with deep sorrow that the Government of Haiti can confirm that President Moise has been assassinated. The attack occurred at the Presidential Palace at around 1:00am on July 7th. Although details are still emerging, at this time it can be confirmed that this was a highly coordinated attack by a highly trained and heavily armed group. Further details on the situation will be provided as soon as possible and we will ensure that those responsible for this heinous act are swiftly brought to justice. 

“Haiti has lost a true statesman who was committed to progressing our country’s democratic transition and fighting corruption. President Moise believed that Haiti could become a beacon of democracy and worked tirelessly to address serious systemic failures within Haiti, including reform of the constitution. He sought to distance himself from polarized Haitian politics and deliver lasting, meaningful change for the country in the face of powerful forces of resistance. 

“We urge Haitians to show restraint and maintain a peaceful environment over the coming days. We also call on the international community to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible. 

“President Moise died in defence of democracy and we have a duty to ensure his legacy is honored. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire nation, and with the family of the President and the First Lady.”

Haiti’s Acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has declared a “state of siege” in Haiti in a message to the nation, saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos” following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on Wednesday. 

Joseph said the decision to declare a “state of siege” was made at an extraordinary council of ministers meeting Wednesday morning.  

Under Haitian law, there are three levels of emergency, starting with a “state of emergency,” followed by a “state of siege”, and finally the highest level of emergency, which is a “state of war.” 

A state of siege means that all borders are closed as well as martial law temporarily imposed, with Haiti’s military and the Haiti National Police (HNP) empowered to enforce the law.   

Joseph in the on-camera statement appealed to citizens to stay calm. He also vowed to bring to justice those involved in the president’s assassination.

“I call on everyone to stay calm and I am very sorry to report to you the death of the president. Me and all the ministers have been working since the news broke and we want to assure you we will bring the killers of the president to justice. Please stay calm and let the authorities do their work. We don’t want the country to plunge into chaos. This is a very sad day for our nation and for our people,” Joseph said.