The daring assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse at his home outside Port-au-Prince was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos” who may have already fled the country, the nation’s ambassador to the US said Wednesday.
The 53-year-old president was killed and his wife, first lady Martine Moïse, wounded when the squad of killers assaulted their home around 1 a.m. local time, authorities have said.
Bocchit Edmond, the impoverished Caribbean nation’s ambassador to the US, told reporters that the unapprehended killers are “well-trained professional commandos” and “foreign mercenaries” who tried to pass themselves off as agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Officials have variously described the killers as speaking Spanish and English, while French and Haitian Creole are the nation’s predominant languages.
Though interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph quickly imposed a “state of siege” after the assassination — closing Haiti’s borders and enacting martial law — Edmond said it is possible the murderers had already fled the country, either by land into the Dominican Republic or via boat.
The first lady, 47, is in stable but critical condition, said Edmond, adding that efforts are underway to move her out of Haiti to Miami.
Haiti has asked the US for assistance with the investigation, according to Edmond.
The assassination threatens Haiti with a new wave of upheaval as it already faces severe poverty, rising gang violence and the COVID-19 pandemic — as well as existing political turmoil.
A banana exporter-turned-politician elected president in 2017, Moïse had ruled by decree since January 2020 after failing to hold elections, and faced opposition allegations of attempting to establish a dictatorship.
His assassination came one day after he nominated neurosurgeon Ariel Henry to succeed Joseph as prime minister, and just two months ahead of long-delayed elections for a new president and parliament.
Though Joseph has announced that he will lead Haiti for now, the timing of Moïse’s murder left the line of succession murky.
With Post wires
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July 08, 2021 at 03:17AM
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