Haiti’s culture of violence and chaos has culminated in the assassination of Pres. Jovenel Moise.

In the early morning of Wednesday, July 7, 2021, the world wakes up with the breaking news of the assassination of Moise that left his wife Martine Moise critically wounded.  This crime bewildered Haitians at home and abroad.  Haiti has once again plunged into the dark moment of national mourning, reminiscent of the assassinations of Jean-Jacques Dessalines in 1806 and Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915.

According to a report, a group of commandos made up of Colombians and two Haitian nationals living in South Florida presumably assassinated Moise.  Armed to the teeth and equipped with sophisticated electronic devices, they approached the presidential residence in sport utility vehicles.  With a loudspeaker, they announced their apparition as personnel of DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). 

Dressed in DEA camouflage, they gain access to the residence.  Once inside, they neutralized and tied up the presidential guards.  Then, they forced their way into the house where Moise and his wife Martine were sleeping.  Once they located the pair, they riddled Moise with bullets that killed him instantly. Then, they mutilated his body. His wife Martine barely survived the attack.

Within 24 hours of the assassination, some vigilantes spotted the suspects and alerted the police.  According to Haitian police, upon their arrival, a gun battle ensued.  There were a total of 24 alleged assassins.   Haitian police killed six of them, seven are at large, and the rest is in police custody.  The search for the remaining accused assailants is continuing. 

Meanwhile, Martine Moise has received preliminary medical treatment for her injuries at the General Hospital in Port-Au-Prince.  Then, she flew within 24 hours of the attack a charter plane to Jackson Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment in Miami, Florida.  She was still in critical but stable condition.

Forbes Magazine ranks Haiti 13th most violent country in the world.  Networks of gangs go on a daily rampage.  Sexual violence on children and women occurs frequently; kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative business, an illegal means of self-enrichment.  Pockets of those crimes take place in provincial towns and cities around the country, but Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, bears the brunt of those crimes. 

Besides Haiti’s violence, the nation also faces a litany of problems.  For example, foreign exploitation, neocolonialism, political corruption, and embezzlement of funds for personal gain have become the systemic plague of the country.  Also a nearly destroyed environment, natural disasters, high unemployment, overpopulation, and insecurity have undermined the political and economic stability of the country.

The political opposition accused Moise of governing by decree and with increasing authoritarianism.  He was also undertaking an aggressive agendum that included amending the Constitution to extend his term in office, which is a grim reminder of the repressive regime of Duvalier.

Another provision Moise was pushing for would provide immunity for any actions of a Haitian leader during his tenure as president.  Based on Moise’s political agenda, his enemies saw in him the making of a dictator.

According to Eric Lacroix, a fellow journalist and a reliable source on the ground in Haiti, “Moise lived by the sword and died by the sword.” He claims that the camera at Moise’s residence can corroborate his statement. What happened, he said, was rather an inside job to settle a score for a deal that went wrong.”

When asked about Moise’s achievements as president, he stated that Moise did nothing serious other than a lot of talking and a few little things here and there. The truth on Moise’s assassination will come out when the result of the investigation, if credible, is made public. In any case, the fate that is awaiting the perpetrators of Moise’s assassination should be their live dissection. Good or bad, Moise was our president.

Regardless of the political divergence that existed, nothing justifies the torture and the killing of Moise.  Using deadly force to settle a score for political gain is barbaric.  Until we, the people of Haiti, practice our common mottos, “Unity is strength” and “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” to stop this vicious cycle of violence and to free Haiti from the claws of friendly predators, the current economic and political status quo will go on. You be the judge.