🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 155 (from laksa062)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa155.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://globalnews.ca/news/8012305/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://globalnews.ca/news/8012305/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8012305\/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened\/","crawl_time":1776362565,"first_indexed_time":1625768743,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"ca,globalnews!\/news\/8012305\/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened\/ s443","src_root_hash":"18131072723757590355","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"The assassination of Haiti’s president: What happened, and what could be next - National | Globalnews.ca","meta_descriptions":["The assassination of the Haitian president plunged the country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation already struggling with violence and political instability."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The assassination of\nHaitian\npresident\nJovenel Moïse\nplunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability.\nHaiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said.\n“The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.”\nMoïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a \n2010 earthquake\nand\nHurricane Matthew\n, which struck in 2016.\nStory continues below advertisement\nHere’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti. \nEarly Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to\nHaiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph\n.\nCarl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the\nLe Nouvelliste\n, that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom.\nThe president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said.\nStory continues below advertisement\nMoïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added.\nThere is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole.\n2:14\nHaiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated\nAfter the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added.\nThe assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S.\nThe DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy.\nStory continues below advertisement\n6:08\nMercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\nA resident who lives near the president’s home\ntold the Associated Press\nshe heard the attack.\nGet daily National news\nGet daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.\n“I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.”\nHaiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said.\nFour people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said.\nCharles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed.\nStory continues below advertisement\nMoïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.\nThough Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now.\nThe 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president.\n4:21\nHaiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\nBut complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign.\nStory continues below advertisement\nThere is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest.\nAnd Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed.\nHenry, however,\ntold Le Nouvelliste\nthat he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister.\n“I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying.\n2:52\nHaiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN\nREAD MORE: \nHaiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries\nThe Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country.\nStory continues below advertisement\nThe United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday.\nSince taking over, Joseph has also declared Haiti in a “state of siege” for 15 days. During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings.\nMoïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed.\nWhen he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian.\nStory continues below advertisement\nHe said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February.\nWhen he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer.\nEarlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement.\n2:03\nTrio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti\nMoise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September.\nMoïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters.\nStory continues below advertisement\nThe assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation.\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse.\nIn a statement\n, Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination.\n“We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read.\n“Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs.\nStory continues below advertisement\nCanada also released an advisory\nagainst travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.”\nMembers of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country.\n1:52\nHaitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination\n“It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal.\nAccording to Villefranche, Moise’s assassination now leaves an even deeper vacuum in power and politics in a country already wracked by political and economic instability.\n— with files from Global News’ David Lao, the Associated Press and Reuters","attrs_markdown":"[SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8012305\/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened\/#content)\n\nIn the news\n\n- [Ceasefire](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11804158\/israel-lebanon-ceasefire-trump\/)\n- [Jet Fuel](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11803883\/europe-jet-fuel-six-weeks\/)\n- [Carnival Cruise](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11803901\/carnival-cruise-passenger-diana-sanders-wins-lawsuit-overserved-tequila-shots-serious-fall\/)\n- [Camp Mystic](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11803111\/camp-mystic-owner-denies-flood-warnings-court-hearing-texas\/)\n\n[Global News Home ![](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/assets\/dist\/images\/logo-mobile.svg?v=2)](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/)\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/pages\/email-alerts\/)\n\nSite theme toggle. 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Please read our [Commenting Policy](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/pages\/global-news-commenting-policy\/) first.\n\n### Write a comment\n\n[Video link](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/)\n\n[Headline link](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nClose X\n\nClick to scroll back to top of the page\n\nBack  \nto top\n\n[World](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/world\/)\n\n# The assassination of Haiti’s president: What happened, and what could be next\n![](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/katie_dangerfield_220x260px.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=136&h=136&crop=1)\n\nBy  [Katie Dangerfield](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/author\/katie-dangerfield\/ \"Posts by Katie Dangerfield\")    Global News\n\nPosted July 8, 2021 2:23 pm\n\nUpdated July 8, 2021 8:58 pm\n\n**7 min read**\n\nIf you get Global News from Instagram or Facebook - that will be changing. [Find out how you can still connect with us](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/9885400\/how-you-can-find-global-news\/).\n\nHide message bar\n\nThis article is more than 4 years old and some information may not be up to date.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Suspicions Haitian president’s assassination was inside job'](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/vnxy83h93a-b5os5q3tv4\/GN210708ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n2:19\n\nSuspicions Haitian president’s assassination was inside job\n\nclose video\n\nmute video\n\nunmute video\n\nWATCH: Suspicions Haitian president's assassination was inside job – Jul 8, 2021\n\nLeave a comment\n\n[Share this item on Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Share this item via WhatsApp](whatsapp:\/\/send?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20-%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Share this item on X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Send this page to someone via email](mailto:?Subject=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca&body=%0D%0AThe%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A)\n\nSee more sharing options\n\n## Share Close\n[Share this item on Facebook facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Share this item on X x](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Send this page to someone via email email](mailto:?Subject=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca&body=%0D%0AThe%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A)\n\n[Share this item via WhatsApp whatsapp](whatsapp:\/\/send?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20-%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\n[Share this item via Telegram telegram](https:\/\/telegram.me\/share\/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F&text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca)\n\n[Share this item on Reddit reddit](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F&title=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca)\n\n[Share this item on BlueSky bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/intent\/compose?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F)\n\nCopy article link\n\nCopy link\n\nDescrease article font size\n\nIncrease article font size\n\nThe assassination of [Haitian](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/haiti\/) president [Jovenel Moïse](http:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/jovenel-moise) plunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability.\n\n![](https:\/\/d21y75miwcfqoq.cloudfront.net\/70c8fc80)\n\nHaiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said.\n\nRead more:   [Haiti stumbles into uncertain future after president’s assassination](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8012065\/haiti-future-uncertain-president-assassination\/ \"Haiti stumbles into uncertain future after president’s assassination \")\n\n“The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.”\n\nMoïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a [2010 earthquake](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/6400510\/haiti-revisited-tent-city\/) and [Hurricane Matthew](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/2995403\/hurricane-matthew-social-media-picture-leads-to-rescue-of-man-trapped-by-storm\/), which struck in 2016.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nHere’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti.\n\n## What happened?\nEarly Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to [Haiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/).\n\nCarl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the [Le Nouvelliste](https:\/\/lenouvelliste.com\/article\/230281\/le-president-jovenel-moise-a-ete-crible-de-balles-selon-les-minutes-du-constat-legal), that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom.\n\nThe president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said.\n\nRead more:   [Haiti police remain in gun battle with assailants behind president’s assassination](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8011884\/haiti-president-assassinated-gun-battle\/ \"Haiti police remain in gun battle with assailants behind president’s assassination\")\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nMoïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added.\n\nThere is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated'](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/wy6ltv5cii-iy93dm1m1i\/GN210707ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n2:14\n\nHaiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated\n\nAfter the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added.\n\nThe assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S.\n\nThe DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n![Click to play video: 'Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/wkb9etcc72-e4k6uqtvgq\/haitiambassador.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n6:08\n\nMercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\n\nA resident who lives near the president’s home [told the Associated Press](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/) she heard the attack.\n\n![Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg)\n\n## Get daily National news\nGet daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.\n\nBy providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' [Terms and Conditions](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/terms-of-use\/) and [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/privacy-policy\/).\n\n“I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.”\n\nHaiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said.\n\nFour people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said.\n\nCharles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n## What now?\nMoïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.\n\nThough Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now.\n\nThe 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/kli032rfh8-4tan9z476h\/HAITIFIRSTLADY.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n4:21\n\nHaiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\n\nBut complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nThere is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest.\n\nAnd Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed.\n\nHenry, however, [told Le Nouvelliste](https:\/\/lenouvelliste.com\/article\/230284\/claude-joseph-nest-pas-premier-ministre-il-fait-partie-de-mon-gouvernement-affirme-ariel-henry) that he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister.\n\n“I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/fsw9pqaogn-sx4i0nocvx\/haiti.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n2:52\n\nHaiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN\n\n**READ MORE: [Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/)**\n\nThe Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nThe United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday.\n\nMore on World\n\nMore videos\n\n- [Prince Harry says Princess Diana’s death made him not want to be a royal](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11804094\/prince-harry-royal-princess-diana-australia-tour-speech\/)\n- [Trump says Israel, Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire for peace talks](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11804158\/israel-lebanon-ceasefire-trump\/)\n- [U.S. military ‘locked and loaded’ on Iran’s power plants, Hegseth says](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11804115\/us-military-locked-and-loaded-iran-power-plants-hegseth\/)\n- [Carnival cruise passenger wins \\$300K lawsuit after being over-served alcohol](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11803901\/carnival-cruise-passenger-diana-sanders-wins-lawsuit-overserved-tequila-shots-serious-fall\/)\n\n- [![](https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/qy42jyj0ub-jdbdsngvb6\/PERU_SITE_THUMB.jpg?h=article-hero-560-keepratio&w=article-hero-small-keepratio&crop=1&quality=70&strip=all) Canadian medical experts, volunteers aim to complete dozens of free surgeries in Peru](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/11803717\/canadian-medical-experts-volunteers-aim-to-complete-dozens-of-free-surgeries-in-peru\/)\n- [![](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/4u3bauyxyb-djx7z969kh\/260415-REDMOND.jpg?h=article-hero-560-keepratio&w=article-hero-small-keepratio&crop=1&quality=70&strip=all) Iran threatens to expand Hormuz blockade to Red Sea](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/11803588\/iran-threatens-to-expand-hormuz-blockade-to-red-sea\/)\n- [![](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/3f3wfd9qwr-k7z88qk617\/TENNIS_WEB_thumbnail_1280x720_.jpg?h=article-hero-560-keepratio&w=article-hero-small-keepratio&crop=1&quality=70&strip=all) Canada’s top junior tennis players compete in international event](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/11803266\/canadas-top-junior-tennis-players-compete-in-international-event\/)\n- [![](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/vz6yhj3ssk-0holltx63j\/POPE_VANCE_VMS.jpg?h=article-hero-560-keepratio&w=article-hero-small-keepratio&crop=1&quality=70&strip=all) Vance reacts to Pope’s critique of U.S.-Iran war, advises he ‘be careful’ when talking theology](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/11803046\/vance-reacts-to-popes-critique-of-u-s-iran-war-advises-he-be-careful-when-talking-theology\/)\n\nSince taking over, Joseph has also declared Haiti in a “state of siege” for 15 days. During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings.\n\n## Why was Moïse so controversial?\nMoïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed.\n\nWhen he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian.\n\nRead more:   [Canadians stranded in Haiti amid deadly protests hope for quick resolution](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/4962668\/canadians-stranded-haiti-deadly-protests\/ \"Canadians stranded in Haiti amid deadly protests hope for quick resolution\")\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nHe said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February.\n\nWhen he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer.\n\nEarlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti'](https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/942\/339\/190217_SUN_GMAR_cromwell_haiti_848x480_1444096067933.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n2:03\n\nTrio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti\n\nMoise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September.\n\nMoïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n## What has Canada, international community said?\nThe assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation.\n\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse.\n\n[In a statement](https:\/\/pm.gc.ca\/en\/news\/statements\/2021\/07\/07\/statement-prime-minister-canada-assassination-president-haiti-jovenel), Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination.\n\n“We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read.\n\nRead more:   [Justin Trudeau condemns ‘appalling’ assassination of Haitian president](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008938\/haiti-president-assassination-worldwide-condemnation\/ \"Justin Trudeau condemns ‘appalling’ assassination of Haitian president\")\n\n“Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n[Canada also released an advisory](https:\/\/travel.gc.ca\/destinations\/haiti#security) against travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.”\n\nMembers of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/dcawtdreu3-4h1ihkjyf2\/web_HAITIAN_PRESIDENT_ASSASSINATED_CARPENTER_.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)\n\n1:52\n\nHaitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination\n\n“It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal.\n\nAccording to Villefranche, Moise’s assassination now leaves an even deeper vacuum in power and politics in a country already wracked by political and economic instability.\n\n*— with files from Global News’ David Lao, the Associated Press and Reuters*\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. ![](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/google-preferred-source-badges\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png) ![](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/google-preferred-source-badges\/google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=globalnews.ca)\n\n[Journalistic standards](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/pages\/principles-practices\/)\n\nComment\n\n[Report an 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Corus News. All rights reserved.\n\n[![Corus Entertainment Home](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/assets\/dist\/images\/logo-corus.svg)](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/)\n\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Copyright](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/terms-of-use\/)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/advertising\/)\n- [Advertising Standards Terms](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/terms-and-conditions\/)\n- [Corus Entertainment](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/media-centre\/brands\/)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/www.corusent.com\/accessibility\/)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=3005670&c3=&c4=&c5=&c6=&c15=&cv=2.0&cj=1)","attrs_readable_markdown":"The assassination of [Haitian](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/haiti\/) president [Jovenel Moïse](http:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/jovenel-moise) plunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability.\n\n![](https:\/\/d21y75miwcfqoq.cloudfront.net\/70c8fc80)\n\nHaiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said.\n\n“The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.”\n\nMoïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a [2010 earthquake](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/6400510\/haiti-revisited-tent-city\/) and [Hurricane Matthew](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/2995403\/hurricane-matthew-social-media-picture-leads-to-rescue-of-man-trapped-by-storm\/), which struck in 2016.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nHere’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti.\n\nEarly Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to [Haiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/).\n\nCarl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the [Le Nouvelliste](https:\/\/lenouvelliste.com\/article\/230281\/le-president-jovenel-moise-a-ete-crible-de-balles-selon-les-minutes-du-constat-legal), that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom.\n\nThe president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nMoïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added.\n\nThere is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated'](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/wy6ltv5cii-iy93dm1m1i\/GN210707ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:14 Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated\n\nAfter the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added.\n\nThe assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S.\n\nThe DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n![Click to play video: 'Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/wkb9etcc72-e4k6uqtvgq\/haitiambassador.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 6:08 Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\n\nA resident who lives near the president’s home [told the Associated Press](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/) she heard the attack.\n\n![Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg)\n\n## Get daily National news\nGet daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.\n\n“I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.”\n\nHaiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said.\n\nFour people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said.\n\nCharles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nMoïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.\n\nThough Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now.\n\nThe 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/kli032rfh8-4tan9z476h\/HAITIFIRSTLADY.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 4:21 Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says\n\nBut complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nThere is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest.\n\nAnd Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed.\n\nHenry, however, [told Le Nouvelliste](https:\/\/lenouvelliste.com\/article\/230284\/claude-joseph-nest-pas-premier-ministre-il-fait-partie-de-mon-gouvernement-affirme-ariel-henry) that he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister.\n\n“I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/fsw9pqaogn-sx4i0nocvx\/haiti.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:52 Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN\n\n**READ MORE: [Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8008600\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated\/)**\n\nThe Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nThe United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday.\n\nSince taking over, Joseph has also declared Haiti in a “state of siege” for 15 days. During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings.\n\nMoïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed.\n\nWhen he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nHe said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February.\n\nWhen he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer.\n\nEarlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti'](https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/942\/339\/190217_SUN_GMAR_cromwell_haiti_848x480_1444096067933.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:03 Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti\n\nMoise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September.\n\nMoïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\nThe assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation.\n\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse.\n\n[In a statement](https:\/\/pm.gc.ca\/en\/news\/statements\/2021\/07\/07\/statement-prime-minister-canada-assassination-president-haiti-jovenel), Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination.\n\n“We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read.\n\n“Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs.\n\nStory continues below advertisement\n\n[Canada also released an advisory](https:\/\/travel.gc.ca\/destinations\/haiti#security) against travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.”\n\nMembers of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country.\n\n![Click to play video: 'Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination'](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/dcawtdreu3-4h1ihkjyf2\/web_HAITIAN_PRESIDENT_ASSASSINATED_CARPENTER_.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 1:52 Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination\n\n“It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal.\n\nAccording to Villefranche, Moise’s assassination now leaves an even deeper vacuum in power and politics in a country already wracked by political and economic instability.\n\n*— with files from Global News’ David Lao, the Associated Press and Reuters*","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/News\":970,\"\/News\/World_News\":620}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":997,\"\/Article\/News_Update\":995}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":999}","meta_language":"en-us","attrs_author":"Katie Dangerfield","attrs_publish_time":0,"attrs_original_publish_time":1625768743,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"2564","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"1427","body_ext_links_number":24,"body_int_links_number":112,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":1,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":982,"download_ttfb_msec":970,"download_size":55383}

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The assassination of Haiti’s president: What happened, and what could be next - National | Globalnews.ca

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The assassination of the Haitian president plunged the country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation already struggling with violence and political instability.

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The assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse plunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability. Haiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said. “The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.” Moïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew , which struck in 2016. Story continues below advertisement Here’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti. Early Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to Haiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph . Carl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the Le Nouvelliste , that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom. The president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said. Story continues below advertisement Moïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added. There is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole. 2:14 Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated After the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added. The assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S. The DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy. Story continues below advertisement 6:08 Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says A resident who lives near the president’s home told the Associated Press she heard the attack. Get daily National news Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. “I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.” Haiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said. Four people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said. Charles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed. Story continues below advertisement Moïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Though Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now. The 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president. 4:21 Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says But complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign. Story continues below advertisement There is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest. And Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed. Henry, however, told Le Nouvelliste that he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister. “I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying. 2:52 Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN READ MORE: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries The Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country. Story continues below advertisement The United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday. Since taking over, Joseph has also declared Haiti in a “state of siege” for 15 days. During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings. Moïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed. When he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian. Story continues below advertisement He said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February. When he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer. Earlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement. 2:03 Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti Moise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September. Moïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters. Story continues below advertisement The assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse. In a statement , Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination. “We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read. “Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs. Story continues below advertisement Canada also released an advisory against travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.” Members of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country. 1:52 Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination “It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal. According to Villefranche, Moise’s assassination now leaves an even deeper vacuum in power and politics in a country already wracked by political and economic instability. — with files from Global News’ David Lao, the Associated Press and Reuters

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Hide message bar This article is more than 4 years old and some information may not be up to date. ![Click to play video: 'Suspicions Haitian president’s assassination was inside job'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/vnxy83h93a-b5os5q3tv4/GN210708ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:19 Suspicions Haitian president’s assassination was inside job close video mute video unmute video WATCH: Suspicions Haitian president's assassination was inside job – Jul 8, 2021 Leave a comment [Share this item on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Share this item via WhatsApp](whatsapp://send?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20-%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Share this item on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Send this page to someone via email](mailto:?Subject=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca&body=%0D%0AThe%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A) See more sharing options ## Share Close [Share this item on Facebook facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Share this item on X x](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Send this page to someone via email email](mailto:?Subject=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca&body=%0D%0AThe%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A) [Share this item via WhatsApp whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20-%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews%2Eca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) [Share this item via Telegram telegram](https://telegram.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F&text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca) [Share this item on Reddit reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F&title=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca) [Share this item on BlueSky bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=The%20assassination%20of%20Haiti%E2%80%99s%20president%3A%20What%20happened%2C%20and%20what%20could%20be%20next%20-%20National%20%7C%20Globalnews.ca%20https%3A%2F%2Fglobalnews.ca%2Fnews%2F8012305%2Fhaiti-president-assassinated-what-happened%2F) Copy article link Copy link Descrease article font size Increase article font size The assassination of [Haitian](https://globalnews.ca/tag/haiti/) president [Jovenel Moïse](http://globalnews.ca/tag/jovenel-moise) plunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability. ![](https://d21y75miwcfqoq.cloudfront.net/70c8fc80) Haiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said. Read more: [Haiti stumbles into uncertain future after president’s assassination](https://globalnews.ca/news/8012065/haiti-future-uncertain-president-assassination/ "Haiti stumbles into uncertain future after president’s assassination ") “The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.” Moïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a [2010 earthquake](https://globalnews.ca/news/6400510/haiti-revisited-tent-city/) and [Hurricane Matthew](https://globalnews.ca/news/2995403/hurricane-matthew-social-media-picture-leads-to-rescue-of-man-trapped-by-storm/), which struck in 2016. Story continues below advertisement Here’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti. ## What happened? Early Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to [Haiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/). Carl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the [Le Nouvelliste](https://lenouvelliste.com/article/230281/le-president-jovenel-moise-a-ete-crible-de-balles-selon-les-minutes-du-constat-legal), that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom. The president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said. Read more: [Haiti police remain in gun battle with assailants behind president’s assassination](https://globalnews.ca/news/8011884/haiti-president-assassinated-gun-battle/ "Haiti police remain in gun battle with assailants behind president’s assassination") Story continues below advertisement Moïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added. There is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/wy6ltv5cii-iy93dm1m1i/GN210707ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:14 Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated After the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added. The assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S. The DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy. Story continues below advertisement ![Click to play video: 'Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/wkb9etcc72-e4k6uqtvgq/haitiambassador.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 6:08 Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says A resident who lives near the president’s home [told the Associated Press](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/) she heard the attack. ![Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.](https://globalnews.ca/wp-content/themes/shaw-globalnews/images/skyline/national.jpg) ## Get daily National news Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' [Terms and Conditions](https://www.corusent.com/terms-of-use/) and [Privacy Policy](https://www.corusent.com/privacy-policy/). “I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.” Haiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said. Four people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said. Charles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed. Story continues below advertisement ## What now? Moïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Though Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now. The 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/kli032rfh8-4tan9z476h/HAITIFIRSTLADY.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 4:21 Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says But complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign. Story continues below advertisement There is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest. And Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed. Henry, however, [told Le Nouvelliste](https://lenouvelliste.com/article/230284/claude-joseph-nest-pas-premier-ministre-il-fait-partie-de-mon-gouvernement-affirme-ariel-henry) that he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister. “I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/fsw9pqaogn-sx4i0nocvx/haiti.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:52 Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN **READ MORE: [Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/)** The Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country. Story continues below advertisement The United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday. 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During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings. ## Why was Moïse so controversial? Moïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed. When he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian. Read more: [Canadians stranded in Haiti amid deadly protests hope for quick resolution](https://globalnews.ca/news/4962668/canadians-stranded-haiti-deadly-protests/ "Canadians stranded in Haiti amid deadly protests hope for quick resolution") Story continues below advertisement He said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February. When he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer. Earlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement. ![Click to play video: 'Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/942/339/190217_SUN_GMAR_cromwell_haiti_848x480_1444096067933.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:03 Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti Moise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September. Moïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters. Story continues below advertisement ## What has Canada, international community said? The assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse. [In a statement](https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2021/07/07/statement-prime-minister-canada-assassination-president-haiti-jovenel), Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination. “We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read. Read more: [Justin Trudeau condemns ‘appalling’ assassination of Haitian president](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008938/haiti-president-assassination-worldwide-condemnation/ "Justin Trudeau condemns ‘appalling’ assassination of Haitian president") “Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs. Story continues below advertisement [Canada also released an advisory](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/haiti#security) against travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.” Members of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country. ![Click to play video: 'Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/dcawtdreu3-4h1ihkjyf2/web_HAITIAN_PRESIDENT_ASSASSINATED_CARPENTER_.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 1:52 Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination “It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal. 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The assassination of [Haitian](https://globalnews.ca/tag/haiti/) president [Jovenel Moïse](http://globalnews.ca/tag/jovenel-moise) plunged the Caribbean country into upheaval Wednesday — a nation that was already in crisis over alarmingly high violence, poverty and political instability. ![](https://d21y75miwcfqoq.cloudfront.net/70c8fc80) Haiti’s security forces Thursday continued battling a group of gunmen suspected of killing the president in his home overnight and leaving him and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. So far security forces have killed four of the “mercenaries” linked to the assassination, Haiti officials said. “The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” said Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, on Wednesday night. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.” Moïse’s death comes against the backdrop of worsening political instability, gang violence, inflation and high coronavirus infection rates in Haiti. These troubles also come as the nation tries to recover from the devastation of a [2010 earthquake](https://globalnews.ca/news/6400510/haiti-revisited-tent-city/) and [Hurricane Matthew](https://globalnews.ca/news/2995403/hurricane-matthew-social-media-picture-leads-to-rescue-of-man-trapped-by-storm/), which struck in 2016. Story continues below advertisement Here’s what to know about Moïse, his assassination and what the future holds for Haiti. Early Wednesday, a group of “unidentified” assault-weapon-wielding gunmen entered Moïse’s private home on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and fatally wounded the president, according to [Haiti’s now acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/). Carl Henry Destin, a Haitian judge, told Haitian newspaper, the [Le Nouvelliste](https://lenouvelliste.com/article/230281/le-president-jovenel-moise-a-ete-crible-de-balles-selon-les-minutes-du-constat-legal), that a maid and another member of the household staff had been tied up by the attackers as they made their way to the president’s bedroom. The president was shot at least 12 times with both large-calibre guns and smaller nine-millimetre weapons, he said. Story continues below advertisement Moïse’s daughter was also at home during the attack but hid in a bedroom and escaped unharmed, Destin added. There is still no information about who might have carried out the assassination, but the gunmen spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said. The majority of the Haitian population speaks French or Haitian Creole. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/wy6ltv5cii-iy93dm1m1i/GN210707ARMSTRONG.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:14 Haiti in state of emergency after President Jovenel Moïse assassinated After the attack, the first lady was airlifted to Miami, Fla., for treatment where she was in a stable condition, Joseph added. The assassination was carried out by “well-trained professional commandos'” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, according to Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the U.S. The DEA has an office in the Haitian capital to assist the government in counternarcotics programs, according to the U.S. Embassy. Story continues below advertisement ![Click to play video: 'Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/wkb9etcc72-e4k6uqtvgq/haitiambassador.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 6:08 Mercenaries responsible for assassination of Haiti’s president, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says A resident who lives near the president’s home [told the Associated Press](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/) she heard the attack. ![Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.](https://globalnews.ca/wp-content/themes/shaw-globalnews/images/skyline/national.jpg) ## Get daily National news Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. “I thought there was an earthquake, there was so much shooting,” the woman said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she fears for her life. “The president had problems with many people, but this is not how we expected him to die. This is something I wouldn’t wish on any Haitian.” Haiti’s police and army managed to track down the presumed assassins and were engaged in a fierce battle with them late on Wednesday night, officials said. Four people suspected of being involved in the assassination were killed by police and two others were arrested, Haiti’s police chief said. Charles added that three police officers who had been held hostage were freed. Story continues below advertisement Moïse’s death has generated confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Though Moïse is dead, his party retains power. Joseph, appointed by Moïse on an interim basis as prime minister in April after the previous prime minister resigned, controls Haiti for now. The 1987 constitution says the head of the supreme court should take over. Meanwhile, amendments that are not unanimously recognized say it should it be the prime minister, or the Parliament should elect a president. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says'](https://i2.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/kli032rfh8-4tan9z476h/HAITIFIRSTLADY.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 4:21 Haiti’s first lady in stable but critical condition, country’s ambassador to the U.S. says But complicating matters further, the head of the supreme court died last month due to COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries worldwide yet to start a vaccination campaign. Story continues below advertisement There is no sitting Parliament as Haiti failed to hold legislative elections in late 2019 amid political unrest. And Moïse had just this week appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from interim prime minister Joseph, though he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed. Henry, however, [told Le Nouvelliste](https://lenouvelliste.com/article/230284/claude-joseph-nest-pas-premier-ministre-il-fait-partie-de-mon-gouvernement-affirme-ariel-henry) that he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister anymore and he should revert to the role of foreign minister. “I think we need to speak. Claude was supposed to stay in the government I was going to have,” Henry was quoted as saying. ![Click to play video: 'Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/fsw9pqaogn-sx4i0nocvx/haiti.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:52 Haiti’s prime minister to lead country until election following president’s assassination: UN **READ MORE: [Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home by mercenaries](https://globalnews.ca/news/8008600/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated/)** The Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it was closing its border with Haiti and bolstering security amid fears of a breakdown in order in the country. Story continues below advertisement The United Nations Security Council was due to hold a closed-door meeting on the situation in Haiti on Thursday. Since taking over, Joseph has also declared Haiti in a “state of siege” for 15 days. During this time, security forces have increased rights to conduct searches and seizures and to detain persons of interest. Some civil rights have also been suspended, including the right to protest and to hold large gatherings. Moïse had been in office for four-and-a-half years before he was killed. When he first took office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the nation. However, critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian. Story continues below advertisement He said his five-year term was supposed to end in 2022. But his critics, including human rights groups and clergy members, insisted that his term was up this past February. When he refused to vacate the presidency, protests swelled as many demanded his resignation. Moïse said he planned to modify the Haitian constitution to allow him to stay in office even longer. Earlier this year, he dissolved the Parliament, saying most lawmakers’ terms had ended. He also forced three supreme court justices into early retirement. ![Click to play video: 'Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/942/339/190217_SUN_GMAR_cromwell_haiti_848x480_1444096067933.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 2:03 Trio of Maritime medical professionals share their harrowing escape from Haiti Moise pursued sweeping constitutional changes that would increase presidential power. He planned a vote on a referendum, as well as his replacement, in September. Moïse lost the trust of the Haitian people early, said Tamanisha John, a Caribbean studies scholar at Florida International University, in an interview with Reuters. Story continues below advertisement The assassination drew shock and condemnation from leaders in Latin America, Europe and the U.S., along with calls for calm and unity in the troubled Caribbean nation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined world leaders on Wednesday in condemning the assassination of Moïse. [In a statement](https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2021/07/07/statement-prime-minister-canada-assassination-president-haiti-jovenel), Trudeau said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the assassination. “We wish a full recovery to first lady Martine Moïse who was injured in the attack, and our thoughts are with her as she mourns the loss of her husband,” the statement read. “Canada stands with the people of Haiti during these difficult and uncertain times. Our two countries are united by a strong friendship, built on enduring people-to-people ties. Canada has a deep and longstanding commitment to Haiti, and we are ready to offer any assistance it needs. Story continues below advertisement [Canada also released an advisory](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/haiti#security) against travel to Haiti on Wednesday calling the situation in the country “volatile” and warning it could “worsen quickly.” Members of Canada’s Haitian community, largely based in French-speaking Quebec, said they are now becoming increasingly concerned for the future of the Caribbean country. ![Click to play video: 'Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination'](https://i0.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/news/dcawtdreu3-4h1ihkjyf2/web_HAITIAN_PRESIDENT_ASSASSINATED_CARPENTER_.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all) 1:52 Haitian Montrealers shocked by Jovenel Moïse’s assassination “It was a real shock because we didn’t expect that, and well, it was horrible because it’s not a very democratic way to get rid of a president,” said Marjorie Villefranche, the executive director of La Maison d’Haiti — a Haitian community group based in Montreal. According to Villefranche, Moise’s assassination now leaves an even deeper vacuum in power and politics in a country already wracked by political and economic instability. *— with files from Global News’ David Lao, the Associated Press and Reuters*

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Unparsed URL

ca,globalnews!/news/8012305/haiti-president-assassinated-what-happened/ s443