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Haitian police hunt for Moise killers Latin America News

Troops in Haiti have shot dead four suspected killers of President Jovenel Moise and arrested two others, the country’s police chief said on Wednesday, as the unarmed killings threatened to invade the already impoverished Caribbean country.

Director General of Police Leon Charles described the four victims as “military forces” and said security forces fired a shotgun at the men who killed the president at his home overnight.

“We blocked them on the way out of the case,” Charles said in a televised address. Since then, we have struggled with them. ”

“They will be killed or captured.”

Moise, a 53-year-old businessman who started working in 2017, was shot and his wife, Martine Moise, was seriously injured when gunmen looted the couple’s house in the mountains above Port-au-Prince at 1am. Wednesday time (05:00 GMT).

Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, said the gunmen were well-trained “foreign madmen” and that he had been turned into an assistant to the US Drug Enforment Administration (DEA) as he entered a dark Moise-controlled house.

The DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to support the government in its anti-drug programs, according to the US ambassador.

Moise’s wife, Martine, was stable but difficult and had been transferred to Miami for treatment, the ambassador added.

‘Violence’

The assassination, which condemned Washington and its Latin American neighbors, came amid political turmoil, rampant gang violence, and growing problems in America’s poorest country.

Joseph Claude, the country’s prime minister, says the killers speak English and Spanish – the majority of Haitians speaking French and Haitian.

“I want it to settle down. Everything is in hand, “Joseph said on TV with Charles.” This abuse will not go unpunished. “

The Haitian government has announced a two-week ceasefire to help locate the victims.

In an initial interview with the Associated Press, Joseph called for a global investigation into the killings and said decisions needed to be made by the end of this year should be made. He also promised to work with Moses’ colleagues and opponents alike.

“We want everyone to move the country forward,” Joseph said. He also described the President as a “brave man” who criticized some “oligarchs in this country” and said, “We hope this will not have an effect.”

Haiti, a country with a population of about 11 million, has been struggling to survive since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986, and has fought several coups and other interventions. Last year, Moise came to power after a failed election, and in recent months, opponents have called for his resignation, saying he is leading a vicious cycle of tyranny.

Since taking office in 2017, Moise has been called to step down and stage a series of protests – first on fraudulent allegations and his financial management, and later on for more power struggles.

More recently, he led a spate of violent protests that terrorists claim are linked to politicians and business leaders who use military force in warfare.

Global grievances

In the US, President Joe Biden has condemned the killing of Moise as “extremely” and said what is happening in Haiti – located about 1,125 miles off the coast of Florida – is alarming. “We plan to help as we continue to work for a safer Haiti,” he said.

The Dominican Republic has said it is closing borders and strengthening security in the region, but has said the border is “quiet”.

“The case is an attack on democracy in Haiti and the region,” said Dominican President Luis Abinader.

Dominican Republic National Army members oversee a bridge between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, with the border divided at Dajabon closed [Ricardo Rojas/Reuters]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the killings and insisted that “those who did this should be prosecuted,” according to the spokesman. The UN Security Council also expressed deep concern over the death of Moise ahead of Thursday’s summit, called by the US and Mexico, to review the situation.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) expressed concern Wednesday that the violence could be counteracted in an effort to combat COVID-19 in Haiti – one of the few countries in the world that has not given a single coronavirus vaccine.

It can come in force

In Port-au-Prince, roads that are usually busy are often unoccupied on Wednesday and the airport is closed even as gunshots line the sky.

A group of vehicles including an ambulance carrying Moise’s body to the appropriate depot had to change course due to gunfire and roadblocks, according to local reports.

As Haiti is full of politics and facing a growing famine, fears that tensions are running high – especially the assassination of Moise took place in the midst of power outages.

This week, he appointed the new Prime Minister to replace Joseph – who is only required to be a long-term leader – but the new prime minister, Ariel Henry, has yet to be sworn in. And the Supreme Court official, who is expected to help bring peace to the crisis, has recently died with COVID-19.

Children walking the streets in front of a cathedral destroyed by the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, July 7, 2021 [Joseph Odelyn/AP]

In an interview with the AP, Joseph said he had spoken to Henry three times and it was agreed that he would be the current manager.

“He was actually elected but never took office,” Joseph said of Henry. “I was the former prime minister, who was in office. This is what the law and state law say.”

However, in special AP questions, Henry appeared to be in conflict with Joseph. “It’s very difficult. There is a little confusion,” he said.

Late Wednesday, the state-run news came as the Prime Minister and his prime minister – meaning Joseph’s government – took over until a new president was elected, according to Haitian law.

Presidential, parliamentary and regional elections are due to take place in September, as well as in opposition to the new law, which Moise said would help stabilize the country.

Haitian sociologist Alex Dupuy, a sociologist at the University of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, says the best option is for the prime minister and opposition parties to come together and make decisions.

“But, in Haiti, nothing is easy. It depends on the strength of the Haitian forces, “he said, describing the situation as” dangerous “and unstable.

Major opposition parties have been outraged by the killings.

“At this critical juncture, opposition politicians are strongly opposed to these anti-democratic crimes,” he said.

The parties also expressed hope that the police would take action to protect lives and property, and urged Haitians to be “vigilant.”




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