Fears Of 'Spiral Of Violence' Rise As Haitian President Assassinated At Home

Fears of 'Spiral of Violence' Rise as Haitian President Assassinated at Home

The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise at his private residence on Wednesday sparked fears that the country might enter a spiral of violence as the interim government ramps up security, while international leaders and organizations pledge support and offer condolences

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th July, 2021) The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise at his private residence on Wednesday sparked fears that the country might enter a spiral of violence as the interim government ramps up security, while international leaders and organizations pledge support and offer condolences.

A group of armed men were caught on CCTV leaving the residence of the Haitian leader in the dead of night on Wednesday. The 30-second video, spread on social media platforms, show three or four people with weapons entering Moise's home while shouting in Spanish and English.

The president was shot at and died that night, while his wife survived the assault and is currently in hospital.

"At about 1 a.m. on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday... a group of unknown individuals, some of whom spoke Spanish, attacked the president's private residence and lethally wounded the head of state," interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a statement.

Moise, 53, was born to working class parents in Haiti, but managed to climb up the social ladder and become a successful entrepreneur in the energy and agricultural sectors. In 2015, he began his political career after being backed by former leader Michel Martelly as a presidential candidate from the ruling Tet Kale party.

In the first round of the election Moise secured 32.81% of the votes, though the exit poll by the Haiti Sentinel showed he earned no more than 6% of public support. The second round was delayed several times, until being altogether scrapped over suspicions of dishonest campaigning methods and electoral fraud.

The new presidential election was pushed back to late 2016 due to a devastating hurricane that killed over 500 people. During his second attempt, Moise secured the win with 55.67% and was finally sworn in as president of Haiti in 2017.

Moise's reign proved to be just as turbulent, marred by an assassination attempt in 2018 and large-scale protests that swept the country from 2018 until 2021. The opposition, led by Jean-Charles Moise (no relation to the late head of state), demanded the president's resignation over increased fuel prices, corruption and the economic crisis. Several protesters and opposition journalists were killed in crackdowns, which, according to the United Nations, showed "a pattern of human rights violations and abuses followed by near lack of accountability."

In February 2021, Haitian law enforcement agencies had reportedly prevented an attempted coup and an assassination attempt on the president. Moise said at a briefing that the conspirators were planning to kill him, but refused to resign.

On July 7, Moise was assassinated.

Claude Joseph, the interim prime minister of Haiti, declared that the situation was under control after his meeting with the Supreme Council of the National Police. To ensure security, the international airport in Port-au-Prince in Haiti was closed, and all arriving planes were sent back. The government has also declared martial law in the country.

The US embassy in Haiti decided to close down temporarily and urged Americans to avoid trips to the country for the time being. President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader ordered the border with Haiti closed over security concerns.

The news of the death of the Haitian leader was met with harsh condemnation and concern from the international community. Many countries and international organizations expressed their condolences to Haiti and Moise's family and called for respect of democratic values.

"I am shocked and saddened at the death of President Moïse. Our condolences are with his family and the people of Haiti. This is an abhorrent act and I call for calm at this time," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson posted on Twitter.

"We ... want to express our deepest condolences on the passing of President Jovenel Moise to his family and friends, and to the whole nation Haiti, as well as to the people of Haiti, at this terrible time," the head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.

The sentiment was echoed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Colombian President Ivan Duque, Mexican leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Bolivian President Luis Arce, President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez, among others.

The White House and the Russian Foreign Ministry have also expressed their indignation at the brutal crime and conveyed their condolences to the Haitian people and the family of the late president.

Argentina, in turn, stressed the necessity of identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. The call was reiterated by the EU, the UN and, separately, by the UN Security Council.

"The Secretary-General [of UN Antonio Guterres] condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of President Jovenel Moise of the Republic of Haiti. The perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres called on the Haitians to preserve the constitutional order and reject violence in face of the "abhorrent act," while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the assassination poses a risk of inciting instability and a "spiral of violence."

The Organization of American States (OAS) has convened a meeting of the permanent council to analyze the events in Haiti, which it characterized as an "affront to the entire community of democratic nations represented in the OAS."

"We reject this objectionable act. Disagreement and dissent are part of a strong and vigorous system of government. Political assassinations have no place in a democracy. We call for an end to a form of politics that threatens to derail democratic advances and the future of the country," the OAS said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and American President Joe Biden have pledged to provide assistance to Haiti.

"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 said.

The UN Security Council is expected to call a meeting on the Haiti issue in the near future.