Haitian leader's killing draws condemnation, calls for calm

·3 min read

BERLIN (AP) — The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse drew shock and condemnation from leaders in other parts of the world Wednesday, along with calls for calm and unity in Haiti.

Moïse was killed in an attack on his private residence early Wednesday, according to Haiti's interim prime minister. First lady Martine Moïse was shot in the overnight attack and hospitalized. It wasn't immediately clear who was behind the assassination in the troubled Caribbean nation, which had grown increasingly unstable and disgruntled in recent years.

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned what he called a “heinous act.” He told reporters before departing the White House on Marine One: “We need a lot more information but it is very worrisome about the state of Haiti.”

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the attack on First Lady Martine Moïse of Haiti. We condemn this heinous act," Biden said in a statement. “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."

Other initial reactions reflected concern about Haiti’s security.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the assassination “in the strongest terms” and stressed that “the perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“The secretary-general calls on all Haitians to preserve the constitutional order, remain united in the face of this abhorrent act and reject all violence,” Dujarric said. “The United Nations will continue to stand with the government and the people of Haiti.”

Colombian President Iván Duque described the assassination as a “cowardly act” and also expressed solidarity with Haiti. He called for an urgent mission by the Organization of American States “to protect democratic order.”

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted that “this crime carries a risk of instability and (a) spiral of violence.”

In Boston, which has one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S., country, the head of a local Haitian advocacy group and pastor of a Haitian church, Dieufort Fleurissaint, said he’s worried about reprisals and further unrest following the president’s assassination.

Fleurissaint said he’s been checking in with family, friends and fellow pastors in Haiti since the early morning hours Wednesday to make sure everyone stays in their homes for now.

“To kill and assassinate a president in his home just shows the level of insecurity in the country and how no one is exempt from the violence,” said the 59-year-old Fleurissaint, who has lived in the U.S. since he was 18. “It’s unacceptable.”

He said his regular Wednesday morning prayer call with pastors in Haiti and the U.S. was inevitably focused on the killing.

“They’re afraid for their lives,” Fleurissaint said of the other pastors. “The situation is dire. We’re praying for peace in Haiti.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was “shocked and saddened at the death of President Moïse.”

“Our condolences are with his family and the people of Haiti,” he added. “This is an abhorrent act and I call for calm at this time.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the assassination.

“I’d like to make an appeal for political unity to get out of this terrible trauma that the country is going through,” Sánchez said during a visit to Latvia.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen offered her condolences in a statement on Twitter.

“We wish the First Lady a prompt recovery, & stand together with our ally Haiti in this difficult time," Tsai wrote. Haiti is one of the few countries in the world that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China claims as its own.

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