The head of Haiti’s National Police Force said four people suspected of carrying out Wednesday’s assassination of President Jovenel Moise were killed in a shootout with police.
Chief Léon Charles told reporters in Port-au-Prince that two other suspects, whom he described as “mercenaries,” were arrested during the shootout. Three police officers who were held hostage by the suspected assassins were freed. Charles did not provide any other information on the operation.
A manhunt was launched shortly after Moise was gunned down during a predawn raid on his private residence in a wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince. Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, told reporters in Washington that Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic and its airports are closed.
Asked by VOA whether officials knew the nationality of the gunmen, Edmond said he was unsure, but based on video footage obtained by the national police and deemed credible, the assassins posed as agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph declared a state of siege and said he was now in charge of the country.
First lady Martine Moise, who was also shot during the attack, is in stable but critical condition, the ambassador said. She has been transferred to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment. One of the president’s children who was home during the attack has been taken to a secure location.
U.S. reaction
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the assassination and expressed condolences in a statement issued by the White House.
“We condemn this heinous act, and I am sending my sincere wishes for First Lady Moïse’s recovery. 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.”
Biden called the attack “worrisome.”
“We need a lot more information,” he said in response to a reporter’s question before boarding Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday morning.
World bodies react
In Washington, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States held a virtual emergency meeting to discuss the Moise assassination Wednesday afternoon. Member states condemned the killing and expressed condolences and solidarity with the Haitian people.
U.S. Ambassador Brad Freden said that he was shocked by the news and that the United States was concerned about Haiti’s security and political stability. He called on all political actors to set aside their differences and work for the common good of the Haitian people.
In New York, the United Nations Security Council president, French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere, said the council was deeply shocked by the assassination.
The council will meet privately Thursday morning to discuss developments.
“This is a critical moment. I think we all knew it was sensitive and difficult on the ground in Haiti,” Ireland’s ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, told reporters. She said the council would discuss how it could support the people of Haiti.
“I think this is a dark hour for them, and we certainly want to be sure we can express our support for the people of Haiti,” she said.
The United Nations has about 1,200 staff in Haiti as part of its political mission there.
U.S. lawmakers react
On Capitol Hill in Washington, the chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, New York Democrat Gregory Meeks, extended condolences to the Moise family and the Haitian people. He also expressed his concerns about violence.
“The spiral of violence and political assassinations are a threat to democracy in Haiti. My thoughts go out to the Haitian people as we all hope for a return to peace and stability,” Meeks said in a statement. “I will do everything I can to support a thorough investigation to ensure that those involved are held accountable.”
The committee’s top Republican, Michael McCaul of Texas, also released a statement condemning the killing and calling for a probe.
“I strongly condemn the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse and hope his wife who was injured in the attack recovers quickly. There must be a full investigation and appropriate accountability for his murder. My condolences to the Moïse family and people of Haiti.”
Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into Moise’s assassination, calling it a “shocking indicator of the serious human rights and political crisis that Haiti has been facing for years.”
“This is a wake-up call for the international community, and for the Haitian authorities who have overseen chronic impunity and ignored the calls of human rights defenders that has paved the way for such a serious crisis,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty’s regional director for the Americas.
Recent uptick in violence
Haiti has been experiencing political instability and division, as well as a rise in gang violence.
Last week in Port-au-Prince, gang leader Jimmy Cherisier, who is known by the nickname Barbecue, took to the streets to protest Moise's government, calling on him to resign.
“Jovenel (Moise) must go!” Cherisier told reporters during the protest. “A new group of people needs to lead this country, and we must sit together around a table, have a national dialogue so we can redefine this country.”
Seeking to reassure the nation, Joseph has appealed for tranquility. “Stay calm. The nation is secure. Let’s look for harmony,” he said.
Edmond reiterated that message during his briefing with reporters.
“Violence is not the answer. There is no future in that,” he said.
VOA's Matiado Vilme in Port-au-Prince, United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer, Capitol Hill correspondent Katherine Gypson, and White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report, which includes some information from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
