The President of Haiti Jovenel Moise has been assassinated in an attack on his home in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, according to the country’s interim prime minister.
At around 1am on Wednesday July 7, a group of unidentified people, including some speaking Spanish, attacked the private residence of the president, mortally wounding the head of state.
The First Lady suffered bullet injuries and was in hospital, said a statement released by Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph’s office.
Joseph said he was now in charge of the country and that “all measures had been taken to guarantee to continuance of the state”.
Jovenel Moise, 53, had been in power in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, since February 2017, after his predecessor, Michel Martelly, stepped down.
The president of Haiti faced allegations of corruption
His time in office was rocky as he faced accusations of corruption and was challenged by waves of often violent anti-government protests.
Moise had been ruling Haiti by decree, after legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed in the wake of disputes, including on when his own term ends.
The president faced steep opposition from swathes of the population that deemed his mandate illegitimate, and he churned through a series of seven prime ministers in four years. Joseph was slated to be replaced this week after only three months in the post.
In addition to presidential, legislative and local elections, Haiti was due to have a constitutional referendum in September after it was twice postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supported by Moise, the text of the constitutional reform, aimed at strengthening the executive branch, has been overwhelmingly rejected by the opposition and many civil society organizations.
The constitution currently in force was written in 1987 after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship and declares that “any popular consultation aimed at modifying the Constitution by referendum is formally prohibited.”
In addition to the political crisis, kidnappings for ransom have surged in recent months, further reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation.
Haiti also faces chronic poverty and recurrent natural disasters.
Haiti the first country to recognize Greece as independent state
Haiti, although located just over 9,000 km (5,592 miles) away from Greece, was the first country in the world to recognize Greek independence from the Ottomans in 1822.
The country’s dedication to freedom and its commitment to fighting oppression is exemplified in their own historic revolution against the French.
Haiti’s revolution inspired those under the yoke of oppression around the world, including the Greeks, to rise up themselves.
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