According to Haiti’s acting prime minister Claude Joseph, the country’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated during an attack on his residence.
Martine Moïse, the first lady, was also injured in the attack and is receiving medical attention.
At around 1 a.m. Wednesday, a gang of unidentified people, some speaking Spanish, attacked Moïse’s home and shot him and his wife.
Joseph’s called the attack a “hateful, inhumane and barbaric act” and urged the public to remain calm during this tragic time.
He said in a statement that “Measures are being taken in order to ensure the continuity of the state and to protect the nation.”
He stated that the security situation is under control by the National Police and the military.
In 2016, Moïse was elected and took office in February 2017.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on MSNBC that the White House is reviewing and gathering information on the “horrific attack.”
She said, “We’ll be helpful in any way to the people of Haiti, the government of Haiti if there’s an investigation.”
The Caribbean country, which has about 11 million people, is one of the poorest in the Americas. In recent months, it has been plagued with violence and gridlock. In February, anti-presidential protests became violent.
Opposition leaders requested Moïse’s resignation, claiming that his term had officially ended in February. Moïse and his supporters insisted that his term began when he assumed office in early 2017, after a tumultuous election that prompted the appointment of a provisional president to fill the void for a year.
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