Haiti: Assassinated President Jovenel Moise’s wife speaks | Latin American News

The wife of the assassinated Haitian President Giovinel Mois She has spoken for the first time since the gunman attacked the couple’s home in Port-au-Prince, saying that the assault that killed her husband happened “in a blink of an eye.”

In an audio message posted on her official Twitter account on Saturday, Martine Moise urged Haiti not to “get lost” after the severely injured attack.

“Thank God, I am still alive,” Martine Moise said in Creole in an audio message, and Haitian Minister of Culture and Communications Pradel Henriquez confirmed to AFP that this is true.

“I’m still alive, but I lost my husband Jovenel,” she added.

Jovenel Moise, 53, was killed by armed gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Haitian authorities described it as a “highly coordinated attack carried out by a well-trained and heavily armed group”.

Haiti declared a 15-day “state of martial law” immediately after his death and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Haitian authorities say An armed assault team consisting of 28 people -26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans-rushed into the home and opened fire on the couple.To date, 17 people have been arrested and at least 3 suspects have been arrested Be killed, But there is no public motive.

After the attack, Martine Moise was taken to a Haitian hospital and then evacuated to Miami, Florida for more treatment.

“In the blink of an eye, the mercenary broke into my house and hit my husband with bullets…not even giving him a chance to speak,” she said in an audio message.

“I’m crying, it’s true, but we can’t let this country lose its way,” she said. “We can’t let his blood…spatter in vain.”

Power struggle

Jovenel Moise has served as President since 2017 Gang Violence Thousands of people in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, have been displaced in recent weeks. Journalist and famous political activist A fatal blow.

In recent months, massive protests by Haitians urging Moise to step down have shocked the country. Despite opposition from senior jurists, civil society organizations, and the country’s political opposition, the president insists that his five-year term will expire next year.

His death made the generally impoverished Haitian politics even more unstable—especially before his death, Moise had always been Decree He was also accused of depriving several key institutions of their operational capabilities.

A power struggle seems to be brewing. Neurosurgeon Ariel Henry was appointed prime minister by Giovenel Moys a few days before he was killed. He said he-not the acting prime minister-should lead the country .

“After the president was assassinated, I became the highest, legal and regular authority because there was a decree nominating me,” Henry told Reuters in a telephone interview late on Friday.

However, Henry did not take the oath to succeed Joseph when the assassination took place, which left people confused as to who was the legal leader of Haiti.

Claude Joseph was appointed interim prime minister in April after Joseph Chot’s resignation and has so far been in power, leading the government’s response to the assassination. Attract America Support and declaration 15-day “siege”.

Election Minister Matthias Pierre stated that Joseph will continue to hold this post until the presidential and legislative elections are held on September 26.

According to the 1987 Constitution of Haiti, the President of the Supreme Court should succeed the interim president.

But the amendment, which has not been unanimously recognized, stipulates that the prime minister shall be the prime minister, or that during the last year of the president’s term—as in the case of Moise—the parliament should elect the president.

On July 8, people reacted outside the police station in Port-au-Prince, where the suspect who killed President Jovenel Moise was held [File: Estailove St-Val/Reuters]

To further complicate the situation, the President of the Supreme Court died last month after contracting COVID-19 A surge in infectionsDue to political turmoil, the legislative elections originally scheduled for the end of 2019 have been postponed, so there is no parliament.

Haitian lawyer and political opposition leader André Michel said: “The solution to the political crisis must be Haitians, and to a large extent it must be coordinated among the political class, civil society, diasporas and grassroots groups. “.

“Any other process is unhealthy and will die when it arrives,” he said Tweet On Friday night.