Haiti President Jovenel Moise assassinated at his home

Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home by a commando, interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced. 

Joseph, who will now be in charge of the country, said that a group of unidentified individuals attacked the private residence of Moise and opened fire. While Moise succumbed to injuries, the first lady has been hospitalised. Her condition was not known. 

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“The president was assassinated at his home by foreigners who spoke English and Spanish,” Joseph said in a statement. 

He condemned the “inhumane and barbaric act” and said that the police and Haiti’s armed forces had taken control of the security situation in the country. 

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Moise had been ruling Haiti by decree after the legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed. In addition to the political crisis, kidnappings for ransom have surged in the country in recent months.

Haiti poorest country in the Americas and is also hit by recurrent natural disasters.

Moise had faced steep opposition from some of the population that deemed his mandate illegitimate, and he churned through a series of seven prime ministers in four years. Joseph was supposed to be replaced this week after only three months in the post.

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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.

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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.”

Critics had also claimed it was impossible to organizing a poll, given the general insecurity in the country.