Haiti's president assassinated

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Nick Thompson, Sheena McKenzie, Hannah Strange and Samantha Beech, CNN

Updated 0209 GMT (1009 HKT) July 8, 2021
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10:15 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

The official who would normally take over from the president recently died of Covid-19

From CNN's Caitlin Hu

In the wake of the Haitian president's assassination, one of the big questions is who will succeed him. But the answer isn't immediately clear, according to Jean Wilner Morin, the president of the national association of Haitian judges.

He told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was now murky because normally the president of the Supreme Court would normally be called upon to fill the void, but he recently died after contracting Covid-19. René Sylvestre's funeral was due to have been held Wednesday. It is not yet known whether the service will proceed.

For the acting prime minister Claude Joseph to formally replace the president, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But without recent elections, the parliament is effectively defunct and "therefore constitutionally, he cannot replace the president of the republic."

Morin said there is one other precedent dating back to 2015, when the president of the National Assembly stepped up to fill the leadership vacuum. But again, currently there is no official in that role either. However, with a third of the Senate still in place, Morin suggests that perhaps officials will look at whether Senate leader Joseph Lambert might be an option.

This post has been updated.

10:15 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Haiti’s international airport closed after assassination of president, ambassador says

From Jessica Hasbún and Tatiana Arias

A police vehicle is parked outside Toussaint Louverture International Airport on June 26, 2020 in Port-au-prince, Haiti. 
A police vehicle is parked outside Toussaint Louverture International Airport on June 26, 2020 in Port-au-prince, Haiti.  (Estailove St-Val/AFP/Getty Images)

Haiti’s international airport has been closed following the killing of President Jovenel Moise, the country's ambassador to the Dominican Republic said Wednesday.

Without providing any further details, Smith Augustin told CNN in a WhatsApp message that the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, had been closed.

10:01 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Here's what you need to know about the backdrop to Moise's assassination

By Caitlin Hu

In this Feb. 7, 2020 file photo, Haitian President Jovenel Moise arrives for an interview at his home in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
In this Feb. 7, 2020 file photo, Haitian President Jovenel Moise arrives for an interview at his home in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Dieu Nalio Chery/AP)

The assassination of President Jovenel Moise deepens a crisis that Haiti currently faces on a number of fronts. Here's what you need to know.

  • The attack comes amid a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. The country’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign. Moise had just named a new prime minister, neurosurgeon Ariel Henry, on July 5. However, it is his predecessor -- acting prime minister Claude Joseph — who has assumed control of the country in the wake of the president’s death.

  • Criminal violence escalated in capital city Port-au-Prince in the month of June, including attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. More than 10,000 people have fled to temporary shelters. The country was also rocked by a wave of kidnappings earlier this year.

  • Covid-19 is also on the rise in Haiti, with its highest death toll yet reported in June. Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F. Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus.

  • Haiti is heading toward elections and a controversial constitutional referendum this fall. The referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency.

9:11 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Increased security presence in Haitian president's neighborhood this morning

From CNN's Rebecca Wright

Photos from the Perlerin, Petion Ville neighborhood where the Haitian president's private residence is located show an increased security presence on Wednesday.

Soldiers dressed in full camouflage uniform and protective gear could be seen patrolling the area following Jovenel Moise's assassination.

Soldiers patrol the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday.
Soldiers patrol the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. Joseph Odelyn/AP

Military vehicles block the entrance to Petion Ville in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday.
Military vehicles block the entrance to Petion Ville in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. Joseph Odelyn/AP

8:45 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Leaders react to news of Moise's killing

From CNN's Tatiana Arias, Claudia Rebaza, Sharon Braithwaite and Lauren Said-Moorhouse

Global leaders denounced the assassination of Jovenel Moise and expressed solidarity with the people of Haiti on Wednesday.

“We reject the vile assassination of the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise. It is a cowardly and barbaric act against the entire Haitian people. Our solidarity with the sister nation and the family of a great friend of Colombia”, Colombian President Ivan Duque Duque said in a statement. "We support institutions and democracy, and we ask the Organization of American States (OAS) for an urgent mission to protect the democratic order."

"Spain strongly condemns the assassination of the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise. Our condolences to his family and our solidarity with the Haitian people," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted. "We call for the unity of the political forces to find a way out of the serious crisis that the country experiences."

His UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, also expressed his shock at the "abhorrent act" and called for calm.

8:26 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

US Embassy in Haiti closed following attack

From CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Jennifer Hansler

In this April 29, 2019 file photo, Haitian security personnel guard outside the US Embassy in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
In this April 29, 2019 file photo, Haitian security personnel guard outside the US Embassy in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

The US Embassy said in a security alert on its website that it would restrict "direct-hire US citizen" staff to embassy compounds in Port-au-Prince "until further notice" and that it would be closed Wednesday as a result of the "ongoing security situation."

It asked for people to avoid unnecessary travel in the area at this time.

The travel advisory level for Haiti was already at the highest level – Level 4: Do Not Travel – “due to  kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and COVID-19,” according to the State Department.

This post has been updated.

8:07 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

White House press secretary calls assassination of Haitian president a "horrific crime"

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki called the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise a "horrific crime" and pledged that the Biden administration will stand with the people of Haiti.

"It's a horrific crime, and we're so sorry for the loss that they are all suffering and going through as many of them are waking up this morning and hearing this news. And we stand ready and stand by them to provide any assistance that's needed," Psaki said on CNN's "New Day."

"We're still gathering details, we're still gathering specifics. And of course, our embassy and State Department will be in close touch," she said.

"It's a tragedy," Psaki said. "We stand with them, and it's important the people of Haiti know that." 

Watch:

7:56 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Here's the full statement from the acting PM announcing Moise's death

From CNN's Martin Goillandeau

Jovenel Moise, Haiti's president, departs after an inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador, on Monday, May 24, 2021.
Jovenel Moise, Haiti's president, departs after an inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador, on Monday, May 24, 2021. Johis Alarcon/Bloomberg/Getty Images

A copy of the statement from acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph is circulating on social media following news of the early hours attack on the Haitian President's residence.

The official account of the Embassy of Haiti in Canada tweeted the government communique before following up with a subsequent tweet expressing its "great sadness" in confirming the death of the president. The embassy also said, "The First Lady, injured, receives the necessary care. Our hearts go out to the presidential family and to the whole nation."

This is a translation of the full Haitian press release from PM Joseph:

"At around one (1) o'clock in the morning, on the night of Tuesday, July 6 to Wednesday, July 7, 2021, a group of unidentified individuals, some of whom were speaking in Spanish, attacked the private residence of the President of the Republic and fatally wounded the Head of State. The First Lady was shot and is receiving the necessary treatment.

"Condemning this heinous, inhumane and barbaric act, the Prime Minister a.i., Dr. Claude Joseph, and the CSPN are calling for calm. The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces.

"All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the State and to protect the Nation.

"Democracy and the Republic will win."

7:29 a.m. ET, July 7, 2021

Haiti's president was a controversial leader

From Caitlin Hu

In this April 7, 2018, file photo, Haiti's President Jovenel Moise leaves after a ceremony marking the 215th anniversary of revolutionary hero Toussaint Louverture's death, at the National Pantheon museum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 
In this April 7, 2018, file photo, Haiti's President Jovenel Moise leaves after a ceremony marking the 215th anniversary of revolutionary hero Toussaint Louverture's death, at the National Pantheon museum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  Dieu Nalio Chery/AP

Haitian president Jovenel Moise was a controversial figure, with many in the country disputing his right to continue serving in the presidency this year.

While the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States supported his claim to a fifth year in office, critics say he should have stepped down on February 7, 2021, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office.

Throughout his presidency, the President had repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty.

His death takes place against a background of extreme violence in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince that has claimed the lives of many citizens, and escalated notably in June.

Rival groups have battled with one another or the police for control of the streets, displacing tens of thousands and worsening the country’s humanitarian crisis. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier recently vowed before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city.