Haiti’s President, Jovenel Moise, was killed on July 7th by a cammando of foreign mercenaries who portrayed themselves as US DEA agents prior to storming his home. The question is, why was he killed and by whom?
Moise was alleged to have ties to Haiti’s criminal gangs whose violence has been plaguing the nation’s populace. The fact the mercenary force claimed to be DEA agents, and were captured on video yelling “stand down, stand down” in an American accent, may be itself a statement as to the motive of the actual shot-caller who ordered the hit.
Another possibility is that one of the gangs had a beef for the President and thus ordered s hit.
Prime Minister Claud Joseph has now assumed the authority to succeed the President and while direct accusations of his complicity have not surfaced, anyonen investigating this assassination is likely to consider this possibility.
According to AP, in a report on Yahoo News, Jospeh said, “We need every single one to move the country forward.” Referencing enemies of the president, Joseph called the President ‘’a man of courage” who had opposed ‘’some oligarchs in the country, and we believe those things are not without consequences.”
At one point the commandos held three Haitian police hostage in a house they were occupying but they later surrendered. Four commandos were killed and two were captured. But running gun battles with the commandos continued as the acting successor claimed Haitian police would hunt them all down and kill or capture them.
There had been a series of protests, some violent, against his rule, which was becoming more authoritarian, and his inept handling of the economy and the security situation. His death, while shocking, has not been universally mourned inside Haiti.
He has been ruling by decree after failing to hold elections and an upcoming national election in September was the cause of tensions and violence within the country as of late.
During the attack his wife, Martine, was wounded seriously and is now in Miami, Florida, where she is in stable but critical condition. No doubt her survival was not planned by the assassins.
The attack was condemned by the opposition even as the acting successor declared a state of siege but also promised upcoming elections would still occur as planned.
Meanwhile the interim Prime Minister who claims power, was actually replaced the day prior by Joseph, who appointed Ariel Henry. Henry had not yet been sworn in to office and claims to be the Prime Minister while Jospeh, the replaced interim Prime Minister, claims that as the newly appointed Henry hadn’t taken office, he is not the Prime Minister.
Regardless, the US government is clearly backing Jospeh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called him, assuring him of US assistance.