🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 51 (from laksa162)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa051.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 FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl","crawl_time":1775318162,"first_indexed_time":1746143095,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cnn!www,\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl s443","src_root_hash":"2312100192101524051","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Explained: The assassination of Jovenel Moise, Haiti’s President | CNN","meta_descriptions":["The assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise has stunned the country and shocked regional leaders. The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Port-au-Prince, Haiti\nCNN\n — \nThe\nassassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise\nhas stunned the country and\nshocked regional leaders\n. The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future.\nHaiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.”\nAuthorities have said a\ngroup of “professional killers”\nstormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday.\nAd Feedback\nAd Feedback\nMoise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN.\nHaiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment.\nHaiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.”\nJovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency.\nPolice have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination.\nCiting figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack.\nOn Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested.\nThirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday.\nBut even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack.\nMoise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign.\nAmid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice.\nCriminal violence has recently escalated\nin capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year.\nBattles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies.\nMeanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus.\nThe White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.”\nMany in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year.\nHe said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States.\nBut the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office.\nMoise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.”\nDuring his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A\nconstitutional referendum is set to be held\nin September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections.\nThe referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency.\nMunicipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed.\nIt isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months.\nJudge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability.\nHaiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre,\nrecently died of Covid-19\n.\nFor the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct.\nMuddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.”\nThere is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.”\nIn a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said.\nHe also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.”\nJoseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination.\nHaiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank.\nThe recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people.\nBruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches.\nUNICEF warned at the end of May that\nsevere acute childhood malnutrition\nin Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water.\nMore than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said.\nUNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year.\nThe United States is\nsending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti\nat the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well.\nWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation.\nThe Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.”\nThe Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.”\nUS State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request.\nPsaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti.\nIn May, the Biden administration\ngranted humanitarian protection for some Haitians\nin the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country.\nThe growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US.\nCNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.","attrs_markdown":"Thank You\\!\n\nYour effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much appreciated.\n\nClose\n\nAd Feedback\n\n[World](https:\/\/cnn.com\/world)\n\n[Africa](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/africa)\n\n[Americas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/americas)\n\n[Asia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/asia)\n\n[Australia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/australia)\n\n[China](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/china)\n\n[Europe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe)\n\n[India](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/india)\n\n[Middle East](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middle-east)\n\n[United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/united-kingdom)\n\n[More]()\n\n[Africa](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/africa)   [Americas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/americas)   [Asia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/asia)   [Australia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/australia)   [China](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/china)   [Europe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe)   [India](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/india)   [Middle East](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middle-east)   [United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/united-kingdom)\n\n[Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)   [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)\n***\nEdition\n\n[US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\nEdition\n\n- [US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n***\n[Africa](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/africa)\n\n[Americas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/americas)\n\n[Asia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/asia)\n\n[Australia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/australia)\n\n[China](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/china)\n\n[Europe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe)\n\n[India](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/india)\n\n[Middle East](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middle-east)\n\n[United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/united-kingdom)\n***\nFollow CNN\n\nDownload the CNN App\n***\n\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - [Crime & Justice](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/crime-and-justice)\n  - [Immigration](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/immigration)\n  - [Education](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/education)\n  - [Transportation](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/transportation)\n  - [Race & Identity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/race-and-identity)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world)\n  - [Africa](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/africa)\n  - [Americas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/americas)\n  - [Asia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/asia)\n  - [Australia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/australia)\n  - [China](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/china)\n  - [Europe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe)\n  - [India](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/india)\n  - [Middle East](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middle-east)\n  - [United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/united-kingdom)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics)\n  - [Elections 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/election\/2026)\n  - [Trump](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/president-donald-trump-47)\n  - [Facts First](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/fact-check)\n  - [CNN Polls](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/polling)\n  - [Redistricting Tracker](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/state-redistricting-maps-vis\/index.html)\n  - [Epstein Files](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/epstein-files)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business)\n  - [Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n  - [Media](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/media)\n  - [Calculators](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/financial-calculators)\n  - [Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/videos)\n- [Markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets)\n  - [Pre-markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/premarkets)\n  - [After-Hours](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/after-hours)\n  - [Fear & Greed](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/fear-and-greed)\n  - [Investing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/investing)\n  - [Markets Now](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/markets-now)\n  - [Nightcap](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/markets\/nightcap)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health)\n  - [Life, But Better](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/interactive\/life-but-better\/)\n  - [Fitness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/fitness)\n  - [Food](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/food)\n  - [Sleep](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/sleep)\n  - [Mindfulness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/mindfulness)\n  - [Relationships](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/relationships)\n- [CNN Underscored](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored)\n  - [Electronics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/electronics)\n  - [Fashion](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/fashion)\n  - [Beauty](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/beauty)\n  - [Health & Fitness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/health-fitness)\n  - [Home](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/home)\n  - [Reviews](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews)\n  - [Deals](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/deals)\n  - [Gifts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts)\n  - [Travel](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/travel)\n  - [Outdoors](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/outdoors)\n  - [Pets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/pets)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment)\n  - [Movies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/movies)\n  - [Television](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/tv-shows)\n  - [Celebrity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/celebrities)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n  - [Innovate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech\/innovate)\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style)\n  - [Arts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/arts)\n  - [Design](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/design)\n  - [Fashion](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/fashion)\n  - [Architecture](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/architecture)\n  - [Luxury](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/luxury)\n  - [Beauty](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/beauty)\n  - [Video](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/videos)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel)\n  - [Destinations](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/destinations)\n  - [Food & Drink](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/food-and-drink)\n  - [Stay](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/stay)\n  - [Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/videos)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sports)\n  - [NFL](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/nfl)\n  - [NBA](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/nba)\n  - [MLB](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/mlb)\n  - [WNBA](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/wnba)\n  - [Golf](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/golf)\n  - [Soccer](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/soccer)\n  - [Tennis](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/tennis)\n  - [Motorsport](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/motorsport)\n  - [College Sports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/college-sports)\n  - [Olympics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/milan-cortina-winter-olympics-2026)\n  - [Bleacher Report](https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science)\n  - [Space](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/space)\n  - [Life](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/life)\n  - [Unearthed](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/unearthed)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate)\n  - [Solutions](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate\/solutions)\n  - [Weather](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather)\n  - [Video](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather\/video)\n  - [Climate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate)\n- [Ukraine-Russia War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine)\n- [Israel-Hamas War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middleeast\/israel)\n- [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n  - [Featured](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n  - [Shows & Films](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch#shows-films)\n  - [Network TV](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/live)\n  - [Clips](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos)\n  - [CNN Headlines](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/fast\/cnn-headlines)\n  - [Shows A-Z](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/tv\/all-shows)\n  - [CNN 10](https:\/\/www.cnn10.com\/)\n  - [CNN TV Schedule](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/tv\/schedule\/cnn)\n- [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n  - [CNN 5 Things](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/5-things)\n  - [Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/chasing-life)\n  - [The Assignment with Audie Cornish](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/the-assignment)\n  - [One Thing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/one-thing)\n  - [Tug of War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/tug-of-war)\n  - [CNN Political Briefing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/political-briefing)\n  - [The Axe Files](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/axe-files)\n  - [All There Is with Anderson Cooper](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper)\n  - [All CNN Audio podcasts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games)\n  - [Daily Crossword](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/cnn-crossword)\n  - [Jumble Crossword](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/jumble-crossword-daily)\n  - [Photo Shuffle](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/photo-shuffle)\n  - [Sudoblock](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/sudoblock)\n  - [Sudoku](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/daily-sudoku)\n  - [5 Things Quiz](https:\/\/cnn.it\/5thingsquiz)\n- [About CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/about)\n  - [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription?source=sub_web_footersubnav-link)\n  - [Photos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/photos)\n  - [Investigations](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/cnn-investigates)\n  - [CNN Profiles](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles)\n  - [CNN Leadership](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/cnn-leadership)\n  - [CNN Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n  - [Work for CNN](https:\/\/careers.wbd.com\/cnnjobs)\n***\nDownload the CNN App\n\n# Haiti’s leader has been killed. Here’s what you need to know\n[![Laura Smith-Spark](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/laura-smith-spark)\n\nBy [Caitlin Hu](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/caitlin-hu) and [Laura Smith-Spark](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/laura-smith-spark), CNN\n\n7 min read\n\nUpdated 6:07 AM EDT, Sat July 10, 2021\n\nLink Copied\\!\n\n**Unable to load video**\n\nPlease try again later.\n\nError occurred while fetching labs\n\nSubtitles\n\n- Off\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nHaiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise\n\n02:19   • Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\nWorld News  13 videos\n\n![Shelly Kittleson is seen in this image posted to her Instagram account.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nAmerican journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad\n\n02:38\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![RenameThisHorizontal.00\\_00\\_00\\_23.Still001.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nPlastics industry faces struggles in South Korea\n\n01:30\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![thumb\\_22499509\\_2400129.3329999996\\_thumb.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nIranian photojournalist speaks to CNN from inside Iran\n\n05:01\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![Haiti's President Jovenel Moise (C) and his wife, First Lady Martine Moise (2-L), arrive at the National Assembly to attend the inauguration of Ecuadorean President-elect Guillermo Lasso, in Quito on May 24, 2021. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA \/ AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO BUENDIA\/AFP via Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nHaiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise\n\n02:19\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![still\\_22511513\\_192710.267\\_thumb.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nThe Humanitarian Impact of the Iran War\n\n04:10\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![apogee raise burn 2.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nNASA footage of Artemis II burn reveals stunning views of Earth\n\n01:00\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![rio 1.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nReforesting Rio de Janeiro\n\n04:00\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![Iranian state media released photos Friday, April 3, 2026, of what it claimed is the wreckage of a US Air Force fighter jet downed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The debris is consistent with US Air Force F-15.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nUS fighter jet shot down over Iran, US sources say\n\n04:28\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![Screenshot 2026-04-01 at 17.18.17.png](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nCNN investigates China’s race to remake its nuclear weapons program\n\n03:16\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![MPA Digital video - 1\\_1.00\\_01\\_08\\_04.Still002 (1).png](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nAI is a 'full-contact body sport' says Microsoft South Asia and India president\n\n01:29\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![still\\_22506120\\_1343852.7759999998\\_still.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nExclusive: US intelligence assesses Iran maintains significant missile launching capability, sources say\n\n02:45\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![inner-mongolia-volcano-tourism-digvid-1.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/inner-mongolia-volcano-tourism-digvid-1-20260331194030472.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_250,c_fill)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nThis tourist hot spot is the closest you'll get to Mars without leaving Earth\n\n01:57\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![still\\_22505010\\_13229.07\\_still.jpg](https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-22505010-13229-07-still.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_250,c_fill)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nTrump says Iran war 'nearing completion' in address to the nation\n\n01:03\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![Shelly Kittleson is seen in this image posted to her Instagram account.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nAmerican journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad\n\n02:38\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![RenameThisHorizontal.00\\_00\\_00\\_23.Still001.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nPlastics industry faces struggles in South Korea\n\n01:30\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![thumb\\_22499509\\_2400129.3329999996\\_thumb.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nIranian photojournalist speaks to CNN from inside Iran\n\n05:01\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![Haiti's President Jovenel Moise (C) and his wife, First Lady Martine Moise (2-L), arrive at the National Assembly to attend the inauguration of Ecuadorean President-elect Guillermo Lasso, in Quito on May 24, 2021. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA \/ AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO BUENDIA\/AFP via Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nHaiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise\n\n02:19\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![still\\_22511513\\_192710.267\\_thumb.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nThe Humanitarian Impact of the Iran War\n\n04:10\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\n![apogee raise burn 2.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nNASA footage of Artemis II burn reveals stunning views of Earth\n\n01:00\n\nNow playing\n\n• Source: [CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/)\n\nSee more videos\n\nPort-au-Prince, Haiti\n\nCNN\n\n—\n\nThe [assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-attack-intl\/index.html) has stunned the country and [shocked regional leaders](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/americas\/live-news\/haiti-president-assassinated-updates-intl\/index.html). The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future.\n\nHaiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.”\n\n## What exactly happened to Moise?\nAuthorities have said a [group of “professional killers”](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/09\/americas\/haiti-moise-assassination-july-9-intl-hnk\/index.html) stormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nMoise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN.\n\nHaiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment.\n\nHaiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.”\n\nJovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency.\n\n![Jovenel Moise sits with his wife Martine during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 7, 2017.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nJovenel Moise sits with his wife Martine during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 7, 2017.\n\nDieu Nalio Chery\/AP\n## What’s known about the attackers?\nPolice have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination.\n\n[![A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested on July 8, 2021 at the Jalousie township in Haiti. - Police in Haiti have surrounded a group of possible suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the UN envoy to Haiti said. Helen La Lime said from the Haitian capital that four members of a group that attacked the presidential palace Wednesday and shot the president have been killed by police and six others are in custody. (Photo by Valerie Baeriswyl \/ AFP) \/ The erroneous mention\\[s\\] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Valerie Baeriswyl has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: \\[A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested\\] instead of \\[Men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being transported\\]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention\\[s\\] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by VALERIE BAERISWYL\/AFP via Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested on July 8, 2021 at the Jalousie township in Haiti. - Police in Haiti have surrounded a group of possible suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the UN envoy to Haiti said. Helen La Lime said from the Haitian capital that four members of a group that attacked the presidential palace Wednesday and shot the president have been killed by police and six others are in custody. (Photo by Valerie Baeriswyl \/ AFP) \/ The erroneous mention\\[s\\] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Valerie Baeriswyl has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: \\[A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested\\] instead of \\[Men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being transported\\]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention\\[s\\] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by VALERIE BAERISWYL\/AFP via Getty Images) Valerie Baeriswyl\/AFP\/Getty Images video Related video CNN in Haiti as manhunt continues for killers](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/tv\/2021\/07\/09\/exp-cnn-rivers-haiti.cnn)\n\nCiting figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack.\n\nOn Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested.\n\nThirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday.\n\nBut even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack.\n\n## What’s the broader situation in Haiti?\nMoise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign.\n\n[![PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - JULY 08: A soldier patrols the area near the police station of Petion Ville where people protest after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Moise was killed and his wife injured during an attack to their home in the nation's capital on Wednesday. Haiti remains in turmoil as new authorities are still to be defined and assassins identified. (Photo by Richard Pierrin\/Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - JULY 08: A soldier patrols the area near the police station of Petion Ville where people protest after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Moise was killed and his wife injured during an attack to their home in the nation's capital on Wednesday. Haiti remains in turmoil as new authorities are still to be defined and assassins identified. (Photo by Richard Pierrin\/Getty Images) Richard Pierrin\/Getty Images Related article Haiti on edge as conspiracy theories about President's assassination fill the vacuum](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/10\/americas\/haiti-moise-assassination-uncertainty-intl-hnk-cmd\/index.html)\n\nAmid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice.\n\n[Criminal violence has recently escalated](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/01\/americas\/haiti-violence-death-june-intl-latam\/index.html) in capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year.\n\nBattles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies.\n\nMeanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus.\n\nThe White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.”\n\n## Why was Moise controversial?\nMany in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year.\n\nHe said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States.\n\nBut the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office.\n\nMoise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.”\n\nDuring his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A [constitutional referendum is set to be held](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/06\/29\/americas\/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl\/index.html) in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections.\n\nThe referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency.\n\nMunicipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed.\n\n![People hold up signs during a demonstration against the Moise government in Haiti's capital on February 14, 2021.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nPeople hold up signs during a demonstration against the Moise government in Haiti's capital on February 14, 2021.\n\nReginald Louissaint Jr.\/AFP\/Getty Images\n## Who takes over from him?\nIt isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months.\n\nJudge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability.\n\n[![Haitians demonstrate during a protest to denounce the draft constitutional referendum carried by the President Jovenel Moise on March 28, 2021 in Port-au-Prince.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Haitians demonstrate during a protest to denounce the draft constitutional referendum carried by the President Jovenel Moise on March 28, 2021 in Port-au-Prince. Valerie Baeriswyl\/AFP\/Getty Images Related article Haiti delays constitutional referendum to September](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/06\/29\/americas\/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl\/index.html)\n\nHaiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, [recently died of Covid-19](https:\/\/twitter.com\/moisejovenel\/status\/1407812274618867712?s=20).\n\nFor the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct.\n\nMuddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.”\n\nThere is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.”\n\nIn a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said.\n\nHe also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.”\n\nJoseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination.\n\n![Citizens take part in a protest near the police station of Petion-Ville on July 8, 2021, following Moise's assassination.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nCitizens take part in a protest near the police station of Petion-Ville on July 8, 2021, following Moise's assassination.\n\nRichard Pierrin\/Getty Images\n## What’s the humanitarian situation in Haiti?\nHaiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank.\n\nThe recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people.\n\nBruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches.\n\n![A group of blind and disabled people eat at a refuge for displaced persons after armed gangs set their homes on fire in Port-au-Prince, on June 24, 2021.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)\n\nA group of blind and disabled people eat at a refuge for displaced persons after armed gangs set their homes on fire in Port-au-Prince, on June 24, 2021.\n\nJoseph Odelyn\/AP\n\nUNICEF warned at the end of May that [severe acute childhood malnutrition](https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/press-releases\/haiti-funding-gap-threatens-lives-nearly-86000-children) in Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water.\n\nMore than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said.\n\nUNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year.\n\n## How will the United States respond?\nThe United States is [sending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/09\/politics\/haiti-us-fbi-homeland-security-officials\/index.html) at the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well.\n\n[![Jen Psaki 0707](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Jen Psaki 0707 CNN video Related video White House press secretary reacts to killing of Haiti's president](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/politics\/2021\/07\/07\/jen-psaki-haiti-president-assassination-newday-vpx.cnn)\n\nWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation.\n\nThe Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.”\n\nThe Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.”\n\nUS State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request.\n\nPsaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti.\n\nIn May, the Biden administration [granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/05\/22\/politics\/haitians-humanitarian-protections-biden-administration\/index.html) in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country.\n\nThe growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US.\n\nCNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n***\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - [Crime & Justice](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/crime-and-justice)\n  - [Immigration](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/immigration)\n  - [Education](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/education)\n  - [Transportation](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/transportation)\n  - [Race & Identity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/race-and-identity)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world)\n  - [Africa](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/africa)\n  - [Americas](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/americas)\n  - [Asia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/asia)\n  - [Australia](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/australia)\n  - [China](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/china)\n  - [Europe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe)\n  - [India](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/india)\n  - [Middle East](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middle-east)\n  - [United Kingdom](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/united-kingdom)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics)\n  - [Elections 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/election\/2026)\n  - [Trump](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/president-donald-trump-47)\n  - [Facts First](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/fact-check)\n  - [CNN Polls](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/polling)\n  - [Redistricting Tracker](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/state-redistricting-maps-vis\/index.html)\n  - [Epstein Files](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/epstein-files)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business)\n  - [Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n  - [Media](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/media)\n  - [Calculators](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/financial-calculators)\n  - [Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/videos)\n- [Markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets)\n  - [Pre-markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/premarkets)\n  - [After-Hours](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/after-hours)\n  - [Fear & Greed](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/fear-and-greed)\n  - [Investing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/investing)\n  - [Markets Now](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/markets-now)\n  - [Nightcap](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/markets\/nightcap)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health)\n  - [Life, But Better](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/interactive\/life-but-better\/)\n  - [Fitness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/fitness)\n  - [Food](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/food)\n  - [Sleep](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/sleep)\n  - [Mindfulness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/mindfulness)\n  - [Relationships](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/health\/life-but-better\/relationships)\n- [CNN Underscored](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored)\n  - [Electronics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/electronics)\n  - [Fashion](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/fashion)\n  - [Beauty](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/beauty)\n  - [Health & Fitness](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/health-fitness)\n  - [Home](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/home)\n  - [Reviews](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/reviews)\n  - [Deals](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/deals)\n  - [Gifts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/gifts)\n  - [Travel](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/travel)\n  - [Outdoors](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/outdoors)\n  - [Pets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/cnn-underscored\/pets)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment)\n  - [Movies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/movies)\n  - [Television](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/tv-shows)\n  - [Celebrity](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/entertainment\/celebrities)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n  - [Innovate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech\/innovate)\n- [Style](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style)\n  - [Arts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/arts)\n  - [Design](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/design)\n  - [Fashion](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/fashion)\n  - [Architecture](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/architecture)\n  - [Luxury](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/luxury)\n  - [Beauty](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/beauty)\n  - [Video](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/style\/videos)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel)\n  - [Destinations](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/destinations)\n  - [Food & Drink](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/food-and-drink)\n  - [Stay](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/stay)\n  - [News](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/news)\n  - [Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/videos)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sports)\n  - [NFL](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/nfl)\n  - [NBA](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/nba)\n  - [MLB](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/mlb)\n  - [WNBA](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/wnba)\n  - [Golf](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/golf)\n  - [Soccer](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/soccer)\n  - [Tennis](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/tennis)\n  - [Motorsport](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/motorsport)\n  - [College Sports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/college-sports)\n  - [Olympics](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/sport\/milan-cortina-winter-olympics-2026)\n  - [Bleacher Report](https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science)\n  - [Space](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/space)\n  - [Life](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/life)\n  - [Unearthed](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/science\/unearthed)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate)\n  - [Solutions](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate\/solutions)\n  - [Weather](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather)\n  - [Video](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/weather\/video)\n  - [Climate](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/climate)\n- [Ukraine-Russia War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine)\n- [Israel-Hamas War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/middleeast\/israel)\n- [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n  - [Featured](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n  - [Shows & Films](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch#shows-films)\n  - [Network TV](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/live)\n  - [Clips](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos)\n  - [CNN Headlines](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/fast\/cnn-headlines)\n  - [Shows A-Z](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/tv\/all-shows)\n  - [CNN 10](https:\/\/www.cnn10.com\/)\n  - [CNN TV Schedule](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/tv\/schedule\/cnn)\n- [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n  - [CNN 5 Things](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/5-things)\n  - [Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/chasing-life)\n  - [The Assignment with Audie Cornish](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/the-assignment)\n  - [One Thing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/one-thing)\n  - [Tug of War](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/tug-of-war)\n  - [CNN Political Briefing](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/political-briefing)\n  - [The Axe Files](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/axe-files)\n  - [All There Is with Anderson Cooper](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio\/podcasts\/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper)\n  - [All CNN Audio podcasts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n- [Games](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games)\n  - [Daily Crossword](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/cnn-crossword)\n  - [Jumble Crossword](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/jumble-crossword-daily)\n  - [Photo Shuffle](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/photo-shuffle)\n  - [Sudoblock](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/sudoblock)\n  - [Sudoku](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/games\/play\/daily-sudoku)\n  - [5 Things Quiz](https:\/\/cnn.it\/5thingsquiz)\n- [About CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/about)\n  - [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription?source=sub_web_footersubnav-link)\n  - [Photos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/photos)\n  - [Investigations](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/cnn-investigates)\n  - [CNN Profiles](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles)\n  - [CNN Leadership](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/profiles\/cnn-leadership)\n  - [CNN Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n  - [Work for CNN](https:\/\/careers.wbd.com\/cnnjobs)\n***\n[World](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world)\n\n[Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)   [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n***\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n\nFollow CNN\n***\nDownload the CNN app\n\nDownload the CNN app\n***\n[Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms)   [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy)  [Manage Cookies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)  [Ad Choices](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/ad-choices)   [Accessibility & CC](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/accessibility)   [About](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/about)   [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription?source=sub_web_footerlink-link)   [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)   [Transcripts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/transcripts)   [Help Center](https:\/\/help.cnn.com\/)\n\n© 2026 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.   \n CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/google-play-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/app-store-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n![CNN Logo](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn.svg)\n\n## Legal Terms and Privacy\nBy clicking Agree, you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our Privacy Policy.\n\nBy clicking \"Agree\", you have read and agree to the [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms) and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy).\n\n[Agree](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN —\n\nThe [assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/07\/americas\/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-attack-intl\/index.html) has stunned the country and [shocked regional leaders](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/americas\/live-news\/haiti-president-assassinated-updates-intl\/index.html). The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future.\n\nHaiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.”\n\nAuthorities have said a [group of “professional killers”](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/09\/americas\/haiti-moise-assassination-july-9-intl-hnk\/index.html) stormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nMoise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN.\n\nHaiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment.\n\nHaiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.”\n\nJovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency.\n\nPolice have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination.\n\nCiting figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack.\n\nOn Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested.\n\nThirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday.\n\nBut even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack.\n\nMoise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign.\n\nAmid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice.\n\n[Criminal violence has recently escalated](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/01\/americas\/haiti-violence-death-june-intl-latam\/index.html) in capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year.\n\nBattles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies.\n\nMeanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus.\n\nThe White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.”\n\nMany in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year.\n\nHe said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States.\n\nBut the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office.\n\nMoise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.”\n\nDuring his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A [constitutional referendum is set to be held](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/06\/29\/americas\/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl\/index.html) in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections.\n\nThe referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency.\n\nMunicipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed.\n\nIt isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months.\n\nJudge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability.\n\nHaiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, [recently died of Covid-19](https:\/\/twitter.com\/moisejovenel\/status\/1407812274618867712?s=20).\n\nFor the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct.\n\nMuddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.”\n\nThere is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.”\n\nIn a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said.\n\nHe also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.”\n\nJoseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination.\n\nHaiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank.\n\nThe recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people.\n\nBruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches.\n\nUNICEF warned at the end of May that [severe acute childhood malnutrition](https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/press-releases\/haiti-funding-gap-threatens-lives-nearly-86000-children) in Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water.\n\nMore than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said.\n\nUNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year.\n\nThe United States is [sending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/07\/09\/politics\/haiti-us-fbi-homeland-security-officials\/index.html) at the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well.\n\nWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation.\n\nThe Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.”\n\nThe Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.”\n\nUS State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request.\n\nPsaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti.\n\nIn May, the Biden administration [granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/05\/22\/politics\/haitians-humanitarian-protections-biden-administration\/index.html) in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country.\n\nThe growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US.\n\nCNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

9 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.3 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl
Last Crawled	2026-04-04 15:56:02 (9 days ago)
First Indexed	2025-05-01 23:44:55 (11 months ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	Explained: The assassination of Jovenel Moise, Haiti’s President \| CNN
Meta Description	The assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise has stunned the country and shocked regional leaders. The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN — The assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise has stunned the country and shocked regional leaders . The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future. Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.” Authorities have said a group of “professional killers” stormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Moise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN. Haiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment. Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.” Jovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency. Police have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination. Citing figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack. On Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested. Thirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday. But even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack. Moise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign. Amid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice. Criminal violence has recently escalated in capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year. Battles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies. Meanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus. The White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.” Many in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year. He said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States. But the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office. Moise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.” During his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A constitutional referendum is set to be held in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections. The referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency. Municipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed. It isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months. Judge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability. Haiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, recently died of Covid-19 . For the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct. Muddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.” There is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said. He also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.” Joseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination. Haiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people. Bruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches. UNICEF warned at the end of May that severe acute childhood malnutrition in Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water. More than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said. UNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year. The United States is sending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti at the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation. The Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.” The Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request. Psaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti. In May, the Biden administration granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country. The growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US. CNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.
Markdown	Thank You\! Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much appreciated. Close Ad Feedback [World](https://cnn.com/world) [Africa](https://www.cnn.com/world/africa) [Americas](https://www.cnn.com/world/americas) [Asia](https://www.cnn.com/world/asia) [Australia](https://www.cnn.com/world/australia) [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china) [Europe](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe) [India](https://www.cnn.com/world/india) [Middle East](https://www.cnn.com/world/middle-east) [United Kingdom](https://www.cnn.com/world/united-kingdom) [More]() [Africa](https://www.cnn.com/world/africa) [Americas](https://www.cnn.com/world/americas) [Asia](https://www.cnn.com/world/asia) [Australia](https://www.cnn.com/world/australia) [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china) [Europe](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe) [India](https://www.cnn.com/world/india) [Middle East](https://www.cnn.com/world/middle-east) [United Kingdom](https://www.cnn.com/world/united-kingdom) [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/subscription/all-access) [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) Subscribe Sign in My Account - [Settings](https://www.cnn.com/account/settings) - [Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Topics you follow](https://www.cnn.com/follow?iid=fw_var-nav) - [Sign out](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl) Your CNN account Sign in to your CNN account * Sign in My Account - [Settings](https://www.cnn.com/account/settings) - [Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Topics you follow](https://www.cnn.com/follow?iid=fw_var-nav) - [Sign out](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl) Your CNN account Sign in to your CNN account * [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/subscription/all-access) * Edition [US](https://us.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) [International](https://edition.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) [Arabic](https://arabic.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) [Español](https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) Edition - [US](https://us.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) - [International](https://edition.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) - [Arabic](https://arabic.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) - [Español](https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/?hpt=header_edition-picker) * [Africa](https://www.cnn.com/world/africa) [Americas](https://www.cnn.com/world/americas) [Asia](https://www.cnn.com/world/asia) [Australia](https://www.cnn.com/world/australia) [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china) [Europe](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe) [India](https://www.cnn.com/world/india) [Middle East](https://www.cnn.com/world/middle-east) [United Kingdom](https://www.cnn.com/world/united-kingdom) * Follow CNN Download the CNN App * - [US](https://www.cnn.com/us) - [Crime & Justice](https://www.cnn.com/us/crime-and-justice) - [Immigration](https://www.cnn.com/us/immigration) - [Education](https://www.cnn.com/us/education) - [Transportation](https://www.cnn.com/us/transportation) - [Race & Identity](https://www.cnn.com/us/race-and-identity) - [World](https://www.cnn.com/world) - [Africa](https://www.cnn.com/world/africa) - [Americas](https://www.cnn.com/world/americas) - [Asia](https://www.cnn.com/world/asia) - [Australia](https://www.cnn.com/world/australia) - [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china) - [Europe](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe) - [India](https://www.cnn.com/world/india) - [Middle East](https://www.cnn.com/world/middle-east) - [United Kingdom](https://www.cnn.com/world/united-kingdom) - [Politics](https://www.cnn.com/politics) - [Elections 2026](https://www.cnn.com/election/2026) - [Trump](https://www.cnn.com/politics/president-donald-trump-47) - [Facts First](https://www.cnn.com/politics/fact-check) - [CNN Polls](https://www.cnn.com/polling) - [Redistricting Tracker](https://www.cnn.com/politics/state-redistricting-maps-vis/index.html) - [Epstein Files](https://www.cnn.com/politics/epstein-files) - [Business](https://www.cnn.com/business) - [Tech](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech) - [Media](https://www.cnn.com/business/media) - [Calculators](https://www.cnn.com/business/financial-calculators) - [Videos](https://www.cnn.com/business/videos) - [Markets](https://www.cnn.com/markets) - [Pre-markets](https://www.cnn.com/markets/premarkets) - [After-Hours](https://www.cnn.com/markets/after-hours) - [Fear & Greed](https://www.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed) - [Investing](https://www.cnn.com/business/investing) - [Markets Now](https://www.cnn.com/business/markets-now) - [Nightcap](https://www.cnn.com/business/markets/nightcap) - [Health](https://www.cnn.com/health) - [Life, But Better](https://www.cnn.com/interactive/life-but-better/) - [Fitness](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/fitness) - [Food](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/food) - [Sleep](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/sleep) - [Mindfulness](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/mindfulness) - [Relationships](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/relationships) - [CNN Underscored](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored) - [Electronics](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/electronics) - [Fashion](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion) - [Beauty](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/beauty) - [Health & Fitness](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/health-fitness) - [Home](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/home) - [Reviews](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews) - [Deals](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/deals) - [Gifts](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/gifts) - [Travel](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel) - [Outdoors](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/outdoors) - [Pets](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/pets) - [Entertainment](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment) - [Movies](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/movies) - [Television](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/tv-shows) - [Celebrity](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/celebrities) - [Tech](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech) - [Innovate](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech/innovate) - [Style](https://www.cnn.com/style) - [Arts](https://www.cnn.com/style/arts) - [Design](https://www.cnn.com/style/design) - [Fashion](https://www.cnn.com/style/fashion) - [Architecture](https://www.cnn.com/style/architecture) - [Luxury](https://www.cnn.com/style/luxury) - [Beauty](https://www.cnn.com/style/beauty) - [Video](https://www.cnn.com/style/videos) - [Travel](https://www.cnn.com/travel) - [Destinations](https://www.cnn.com/travel/destinations) - [Food & Drink](https://www.cnn.com/travel/food-and-drink) - [Stay](https://www.cnn.com/travel/stay) - [Videos](https://www.cnn.com/travel/videos) - [Sports](https://www.cnn.com/sports) - [NFL](https://www.cnn.com/sport/nfl) - [NBA](https://www.cnn.com/sport/nba) - [MLB](https://www.cnn.com/sport/mlb) - [WNBA](https://www.cnn.com/sport/wnba) - [Golf](https://www.cnn.com/sport/golf) - [Soccer](https://www.cnn.com/sport/soccer) - [Tennis](https://www.cnn.com/sport/tennis) - [Motorsport](https://www.cnn.com/sport/motorsport) - [College Sports](https://www.cnn.com/sport/college-sports) - [Olympics](https://www.cnn.com/sport/milan-cortina-winter-olympics-2026) - [Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/) - [Science](https://www.cnn.com/science) - [Space](https://www.cnn.com/science/space) - [Life](https://www.cnn.com/science/life) - [Unearthed](https://www.cnn.com/science/unearthed) - [Climate](https://www.cnn.com/climate) - [Solutions](https://www.cnn.com/climate/solutions) - [Weather](https://www.cnn.com/weather) - [Weather](https://www.cnn.com/weather) - [Video](https://www.cnn.com/weather/video) - [Climate](https://www.cnn.com/climate) - [Ukraine-Russia War](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe/ukraine) - [Israel-Hamas War](https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/israel) - [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/watch) - [Featured](https://www.cnn.com/watch) - [Shows & Films](https://www.cnn.com/watch#shows-films) - [Network TV](https://www.cnn.com/videos/live) - [Clips](https://www.cnn.com/videos) - [CNN Headlines](https://www.cnn.com/videos/fast/cnn-headlines) - [Shows A-Z](https://www.cnn.com/tv/all-shows) - [CNN 10](https://www.cnn10.com/) - [CNN TV Schedule](https://www.cnn.com/tv/schedule/cnn) - [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) - [CNN 5 Things](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/5-things) - [Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/chasing-life) - [The Assignment with Audie Cornish](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/the-assignment) - [One Thing](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/one-thing) - [Tug of War](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/tug-of-war) - [CNN Political Briefing](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/political-briefing) - [The Axe Files](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/axe-files) - [All There Is with Anderson Cooper](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper) - [All CNN Audio podcasts](https://www.cnn.com/audio) - [Games](https://www.cnn.com/games) - [Daily Crossword](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/cnn-crossword) - [Jumble Crossword](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/jumble-crossword-daily) - [Photo Shuffle](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/photo-shuffle) - [Sudoblock](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/sudoblock) - [Sudoku](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/daily-sudoku) - [5 Things Quiz](https://cnn.it/5thingsquiz) - [About CNN](https://www.cnn.com/about) - [Subscribe](https://www.cnn.com/subscription?source=sub_web_footersubnav-link) - [Photos](https://www.cnn.com/world/photos) - [Investigations](https://www.cnn.com/us/cnn-investigates) - [CNN Profiles](https://www.cnn.com/profiles) - [CNN Leadership](https://www.cnn.com/profiles/cnn-leadership) - [CNN Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Work for CNN](https://careers.wbd.com/cnnjobs) * Download the CNN App # Haiti’s leader has been killed. Here’s what you need to know [![Laura Smith-Spark](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg)](https://www.cnn.com/profiles/laura-smith-spark) By [Caitlin Hu](https://www.cnn.com/profiles/caitlin-hu) and [Laura Smith-Spark](https://www.cnn.com/profiles/laura-smith-spark), CNN 7 min read Updated 6:07 AM EDT, Sat July 10, 2021 Link Copied\! Unable to load video Please try again later. Error occurred while fetching labs Subtitles - Off Video Ad Feedback Haiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise 02:19 • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) World News 13 videos ![Shelly Kittleson is seen in this image posted to her Instagram account.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad 02:38 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![RenameThisHorizontal.00\_00\_00\_23.Still001.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Plastics industry faces struggles in South Korea 01:30 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![thumb\_22499509\_2400129.3329999996\_thumb.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Iranian photojournalist speaks to CNN from inside Iran 05:01 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![Haiti's President Jovenel Moise (C) and his wife, First Lady Martine Moise (2-L), arrive at the National Assembly to attend the inauguration of Ecuadorean President-elect Guillermo Lasso, in Quito on May 24, 2021. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Haiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise 02:19 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![still\_22511513\_192710.267\_thumb.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback The Humanitarian Impact of the Iran War 04:10 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![apogee raise burn 2.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback NASA footage of Artemis II burn reveals stunning views of Earth 01:00 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![rio 1.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Reforesting Rio de Janeiro 04:00 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![Iranian state media released photos Friday, April 3, 2026, of what it claimed is the wreckage of a US Air Force fighter jet downed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The debris is consistent with US Air Force F-15.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback US fighter jet shot down over Iran, US sources say 04:28 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![Screenshot 2026-04-01 at 17.18.17.png](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) CNN investigates China’s race to remake its nuclear weapons program 03:16 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![MPA Digital video - 1\_1.00\_01\_08\_04.Still002 (1).png](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback AI is a 'full-contact body sport' says Microsoft South Asia and India president 01:29 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![still\_22506120\_1343852.7759999998\_still.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Exclusive: US intelligence assesses Iran maintains significant missile launching capability, sources say 02:45 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![inner-mongolia-volcano-tourism-digvid-1.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/inner-mongolia-volcano-tourism-digvid-1-20260331194030472.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_250,c_fill) Video Ad Feedback This tourist hot spot is the closest you'll get to Mars without leaving Earth 01:57 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![still\_22505010\_13229.07\_still.jpg](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/still-22505010-13229-07-still.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_250,c_fill) Video Ad Feedback Trump says Iran war 'nearing completion' in address to the nation 01:03 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![Shelly Kittleson is seen in this image posted to her Instagram account.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad 02:38 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![RenameThisHorizontal.00\_00\_00\_23.Still001.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Plastics industry faces struggles in South Korea 01:30 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![thumb\_22499509\_2400129.3329999996\_thumb.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Iranian photojournalist speaks to CNN from inside Iran 05:01 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![Haiti's President Jovenel Moise (C) and his wife, First Lady Martine Moise (2-L), arrive at the National Assembly to attend the inauguration of Ecuadorean President-elect Guillermo Lasso, in Quito on May 24, 2021. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback Haiti in turmoil amid assassination of President Moise 02:19 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![still\_22511513\_192710.267\_thumb.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback The Humanitarian Impact of the Iran War 04:10 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) ![apogee raise burn 2.jpg](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Video Ad Feedback NASA footage of Artemis II burn reveals stunning views of Earth 01:00 Now playing • Source: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/) See more videos Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN — The [assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-attack-intl/index.html) has stunned the country and [shocked regional leaders](https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/haiti-president-assassinated-updates-intl/index.html). The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future. Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.” ## What exactly happened to Moise? Authorities have said a [group of “professional killers”](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/americas/haiti-moise-assassination-july-9-intl-hnk/index.html) stormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Moise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN. Haiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment. Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.” Jovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency. ![Jovenel Moise sits with his wife Martine during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 7, 2017.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Jovenel Moise sits with his wife Martine during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 7, 2017. Dieu Nalio Chery/AP ## What’s known about the attackers? Police have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination. [![A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested on July 8, 2021 at the Jalousie township in Haiti. - Police in Haiti have surrounded a group of possible suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the UN envoy to Haiti said. Helen La Lime said from the Haitian capital that four members of a group that attacked the presidential palace Wednesday and shot the president have been killed by police and six others are in custody. (Photo by Valerie Baeriswyl / AFP) / The erroneous mention\[s\] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Valerie Baeriswyl has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: \[A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested\] instead of \[Men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being transported\]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention\[s\] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested on July 8, 2021 at the Jalousie township in Haiti. - Police in Haiti have surrounded a group of possible suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the UN envoy to Haiti said. Helen La Lime said from the Haitian capital that four members of a group that attacked the presidential palace Wednesday and shot the president have been killed by police and six others are in custody. (Photo by Valerie Baeriswyl / AFP) / The erroneous mention\[s\] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Valerie Baeriswyl has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: \[A police car filled with civilians and policemen drives up the Jalousie township where men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, have been arrested\] instead of \[Men accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being transported\]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention\[s\] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images) Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP/Getty Images video Related video CNN in Haiti as manhunt continues for killers](https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/07/09/exp-cnn-rivers-haiti.cnn) Citing figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack. On Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested. Thirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday. But even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack. ## What’s the broader situation in Haiti? Moise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign. [![PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - JULY 08: A soldier patrols the area near the police station of Petion Ville where people protest after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Moise was killed and his wife injured during an attack to their home in the nation's capital on Wednesday. Haiti remains in turmoil as new authorities are still to be defined and assassins identified. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Getty Images)](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - JULY 08: A soldier patrols the area near the police station of Petion Ville where people protest after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Moise was killed and his wife injured during an attack to their home in the nation's capital on Wednesday. Haiti remains in turmoil as new authorities are still to be defined and assassins identified. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Getty Images) Richard Pierrin/Getty Images Related article Haiti on edge as conspiracy theories about President's assassination fill the vacuum](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/10/americas/haiti-moise-assassination-uncertainty-intl-hnk-cmd/index.html) Amid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice. [Criminal violence has recently escalated](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/americas/haiti-violence-death-june-intl-latam/index.html) in capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year. Battles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies. Meanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus. The White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.” ## Why was Moise controversial? Many in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year. He said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States. But the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office. Moise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.” During his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A [constitutional referendum is set to be held](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/americas/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl/index.html) in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections. The referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency. Municipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed. ![People hold up signs during a demonstration against the Moise government in Haiti's capital on February 14, 2021.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) People hold up signs during a demonstration against the Moise government in Haiti's capital on February 14, 2021. Reginald Louissaint Jr./AFP/Getty Images ## Who takes over from him? It isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months. Judge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability. [![Haitians demonstrate during a protest to denounce the draft constitutional referendum carried by the President Jovenel Moise on March 28, 2021 in Port-au-Prince.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Haitians demonstrate during a protest to denounce the draft constitutional referendum carried by the President Jovenel Moise on March 28, 2021 in Port-au-Prince. Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP/Getty Images Related article Haiti delays constitutional referendum to September](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/americas/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl/index.html) Haiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, [recently died of Covid-19](https://twitter.com/moisejovenel/status/1407812274618867712?s=20). For the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct. Muddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.” There is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said. He also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.” Joseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination. ![Citizens take part in a protest near the police station of Petion-Ville on July 8, 2021, following Moise's assassination.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Citizens take part in a protest near the police station of Petion-Ville on July 8, 2021, following Moise's assassination. Richard Pierrin/Getty Images ## What’s the humanitarian situation in Haiti? Haiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people. Bruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches. ![A group of blind and disabled people eat at a refuge for displaced persons after armed gangs set their homes on fire in Port-au-Prince, on June 24, 2021.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A group of blind and disabled people eat at a refuge for displaced persons after armed gangs set their homes on fire in Port-au-Prince, on June 24, 2021. Joseph Odelyn/AP UNICEF warned at the end of May that [severe acute childhood malnutrition](https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/haiti-funding-gap-threatens-lives-nearly-86000-children) in Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water. More than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said. UNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year. ## How will the United States respond? The United States is [sending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/haiti-us-fbi-homeland-security-officials/index.html) at the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well. [![Jen Psaki 0707](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) Jen Psaki 0707 CNN video Related video White House press secretary reacts to killing of Haiti's president](https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/07/07/jen-psaki-haiti-president-assassination-newday-vpx.cnn) White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation. The Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.” The Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request. Psaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti. In May, the Biden administration [granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians](https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/22/politics/haitians-humanitarian-protections-biden-administration/index.html) in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country. The growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US. CNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Subscribe Sign in My Account - [Settings](https://www.cnn.com/account/settings) - [Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Topics you follow](https://www.cnn.com/follow?iid=fw_var-nav) - [Sign out](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl) Your CNN account Sign in to your CNN account * [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/watch) * - [US](https://www.cnn.com/us) - [Crime & Justice](https://www.cnn.com/us/crime-and-justice) - [Immigration](https://www.cnn.com/us/immigration) - [Education](https://www.cnn.com/us/education) - [Transportation](https://www.cnn.com/us/transportation) - [Race & Identity](https://www.cnn.com/us/race-and-identity) - [World](https://www.cnn.com/world) - [Africa](https://www.cnn.com/world/africa) - [Americas](https://www.cnn.com/world/americas) - [Asia](https://www.cnn.com/world/asia) - [Australia](https://www.cnn.com/world/australia) - [China](https://www.cnn.com/world/china) - [Europe](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe) - [India](https://www.cnn.com/world/india) - [Middle East](https://www.cnn.com/world/middle-east) - [United Kingdom](https://www.cnn.com/world/united-kingdom) - [Politics](https://www.cnn.com/politics) - [Elections 2026](https://www.cnn.com/election/2026) - [Trump](https://www.cnn.com/politics/president-donald-trump-47) - [Facts First](https://www.cnn.com/politics/fact-check) - [CNN Polls](https://www.cnn.com/polling) - [Redistricting Tracker](https://www.cnn.com/politics/state-redistricting-maps-vis/index.html) - [Epstein Files](https://www.cnn.com/politics/epstein-files) - [Business](https://www.cnn.com/business) - [Tech](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech) - [Media](https://www.cnn.com/business/media) - [Calculators](https://www.cnn.com/business/financial-calculators) - [Videos](https://www.cnn.com/business/videos) - [Markets](https://www.cnn.com/markets) - [Pre-markets](https://www.cnn.com/markets/premarkets) - [After-Hours](https://www.cnn.com/markets/after-hours) - [Fear & Greed](https://www.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed) - [Investing](https://www.cnn.com/business/investing) - [Markets Now](https://www.cnn.com/business/markets-now) - [Nightcap](https://www.cnn.com/business/markets/nightcap) - [Health](https://www.cnn.com/health) - [Life, But Better](https://www.cnn.com/interactive/life-but-better/) - [Fitness](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/fitness) - [Food](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/food) - [Sleep](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/sleep) - [Mindfulness](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/mindfulness) - [Relationships](https://www.cnn.com/health/life-but-better/relationships) - [CNN Underscored](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored) - [Electronics](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/electronics) - [Fashion](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion) - [Beauty](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/beauty) - [Health & Fitness](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/health-fitness) - [Home](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/home) - [Reviews](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews) - [Deals](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/deals) - [Gifts](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/gifts) - [Travel](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel) - [Outdoors](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/outdoors) - [Pets](https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/pets) - [Entertainment](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment) - [Movies](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/movies) - [Television](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/tv-shows) - [Celebrity](https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/celebrities) - [Tech](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech) - [Innovate](https://www.cnn.com/business/tech/innovate) - [Style](https://www.cnn.com/style) - [Arts](https://www.cnn.com/style/arts) - [Design](https://www.cnn.com/style/design) - [Fashion](https://www.cnn.com/style/fashion) - [Architecture](https://www.cnn.com/style/architecture) - [Luxury](https://www.cnn.com/style/luxury) - [Beauty](https://www.cnn.com/style/beauty) - [Video](https://www.cnn.com/style/videos) - [Travel](https://www.cnn.com/travel) - [Destinations](https://www.cnn.com/travel/destinations) - [Food & Drink](https://www.cnn.com/travel/food-and-drink) - [Stay](https://www.cnn.com/travel/stay) - [News](https://www.cnn.com/travel/news) - [Videos](https://www.cnn.com/travel/videos) - [Sports](https://www.cnn.com/sports) - [NFL](https://www.cnn.com/sport/nfl) - [NBA](https://www.cnn.com/sport/nba) - [MLB](https://www.cnn.com/sport/mlb) - [WNBA](https://www.cnn.com/sport/wnba) - [Golf](https://www.cnn.com/sport/golf) - [Soccer](https://www.cnn.com/sport/soccer) - [Tennis](https://www.cnn.com/sport/tennis) - [Motorsport](https://www.cnn.com/sport/motorsport) - [College Sports](https://www.cnn.com/sport/college-sports) - [Olympics](https://www.cnn.com/sport/milan-cortina-winter-olympics-2026) - [Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/) - [Science](https://www.cnn.com/science) - [Space](https://www.cnn.com/science/space) - [Life](https://www.cnn.com/science/life) - [Unearthed](https://www.cnn.com/science/unearthed) - [Climate](https://www.cnn.com/climate) - [Solutions](https://www.cnn.com/climate/solutions) - [Weather](https://www.cnn.com/weather) - [Weather](https://www.cnn.com/weather) - [Video](https://www.cnn.com/weather/video) - [Climate](https://www.cnn.com/climate) - [Ukraine-Russia War](https://www.cnn.com/world/europe/ukraine) - [Israel-Hamas War](https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/israel) - [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/watch) - [Featured](https://www.cnn.com/watch) - [Shows & Films](https://www.cnn.com/watch#shows-films) - [Network TV](https://www.cnn.com/videos/live) - [Clips](https://www.cnn.com/videos) - [CNN Headlines](https://www.cnn.com/videos/fast/cnn-headlines) - [Shows A-Z](https://www.cnn.com/tv/all-shows) - [CNN 10](https://www.cnn10.com/) - [CNN TV Schedule](https://www.cnn.com/tv/schedule/cnn) - [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) - [CNN 5 Things](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/5-things) - [Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/chasing-life) - [The Assignment with Audie Cornish](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/the-assignment) - [One Thing](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/one-thing) - [Tug of War](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/tug-of-war) - [CNN Political Briefing](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/political-briefing) - [The Axe Files](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/axe-files) - [All There Is with Anderson Cooper](https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/all-there-is-with-anderson-cooper) - [All CNN Audio podcasts](https://www.cnn.com/audio) - [Games](https://www.cnn.com/games) - [Daily Crossword](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/cnn-crossword) - [Jumble Crossword](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/jumble-crossword-daily) - [Photo Shuffle](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/photo-shuffle) - [Sudoblock](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/sudoblock) - [Sudoku](https://www.cnn.com/games/play/daily-sudoku) - [5 Things Quiz](https://cnn.it/5thingsquiz) - [About CNN](https://www.cnn.com/about) - [Subscribe](https://www.cnn.com/subscription?source=sub_web_footersubnav-link) - [Photos](https://www.cnn.com/world/photos) - [Investigations](https://www.cnn.com/us/cnn-investigates) - [CNN Profiles](https://www.cnn.com/profiles) - [CNN Leadership](https://www.cnn.com/profiles/cnn-leadership) - [CNN Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Work for CNN](https://careers.wbd.com/cnnjobs) * [World](https://www.cnn.com/world) [Watch](https://www.cnn.com/watch) [Listen](https://www.cnn.com/audio) * Subscribe Sign in My Account - [Settings](https://www.cnn.com/account/settings) - [Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) - [Topics you follow](https://www.cnn.com/follow?iid=fw_var-nav) - [Sign out](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl) Your CNN account Sign in to your CNN account Follow CNN * Download the CNN app Download the CNN app *** [Terms of Use](https://www.cnn.com/terms) [Privacy Policy](https://www.cnn.com/privacy) [Manage Cookies](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl) [Ad Choices](https://www.cnn.com/ad-choices) [Accessibility & CC](https://www.cnn.com/accessibility) [About](https://www.cnn.com/about) [Subscribe](https://www.cnn.com/subscription?source=sub_web_footerlink-link) [Newsletters](https://www.cnn.com/newsletters) [Transcripts](https://www.cnn.com/transcripts) [Help Center](https://help.cnn.com/) © 2026 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network. ## Download the CNN app Scan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play. ![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/google-play-cnn-app-qr-code.png) ## Download the CNN app Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store. ![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/app-store-cnn-app-qr-code.png) ![CNN Logo](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn.svg) ## Legal Terms and Privacy By clicking Agree, you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our Privacy Policy. By clicking "Agree", you have read and agree to the [Terms of Use](https://www.cnn.com/terms) and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https://www.cnn.com/privacy). [Agree](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl)
Readable Markdown	Port-au-Prince, Haiti CNN — The [assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-attack-intl/index.html) has stunned the country and [shocked regional leaders](https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/haiti-president-assassinated-updates-intl/index.html). The Caribbean nation of roughly 11 million people, many of them living amid poverty and rising violence, now faces an even more uncertain future. Haiti’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed leadership of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He declared a “state of siege” in Haiti – closing the country’s borders and imposing martial law – saying he did not want the nation to “plunge into chaos.” Authorities have said a [group of “professional killers”](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/americas/haiti-moise-assassination-july-9-intl-hnk/index.html) stormed Moise’s private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback Moise was shot 16 times, former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said. The President was aware of a possible assassination threat and that was why in recent months he was rarely seen outside of his home, Lamothe told CNN. Haiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami, Florida, for treatment. Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is “now out of danger.” Jovenel Moise, who was 53 and a former banana exporter, had spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency. Police have so far arrested 20 suspects over the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least five more suspects. Police previously said 28 people were suspected in the assassination. Citing figures from Haitian police, the office of Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities after the attack. On Friday, police published a list of the names of 19 suspects who had been apprehended by authorities, which they said included 17 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans. Shortly afterward, police announced that an additional Colombian suspect had been arrested. Thirteen retired members of the Colombian Army, all believed to be involved in Moise’s assassination, traveled to Haiti over the past months – almost all of them through the Dominican Republic – Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas told a press conference on Friday. But even as more details begin to emerge of the people who allegedly killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack. Moise’s death comes against a backdrop of political instability, with many key roles in the country’s government already empty and the parliament effectively defunct. Haiti’s opposition movement has long called for Moise to resign. Amid heightened tensions in the wake of the assassination, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice. [Criminal violence has recently escalated](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/americas/haiti-violence-death-june-intl-latam/index.html) in capital Port-au-Prince, including targeted attacks on police and arson of civilian homes. Infamous ex-police officer Jimmy Cherizier vowed in June before local media to carry out a “revolution” in the city. That month, more than 13,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince for temporary shelters, according to the United Nations. The insecurity follows a wave of kidnappings earlier this year. Battles between rival groups and the police for control of the port city’s streets have also worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, threatening bottlenecks on food and fuel supplies. Meanwhile, Covid-19 is spiking in Haiti, which is one of only a few countries across the globe not to have yet started vaccinating against it. Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Carissa Etienne last month called on the international community to “urgently” assist the country in combating the virus. The White House has said vaccines are being sent from the US and could come “as early as next week.” Many in Haiti disputed Moise’s right to continue serving in the presidency this year. He said his five-year term should end in 2022 – a stance backed by the United States, United Nations and Organization of American States. But the opposition – which accused Moise of allowing corruption and insecurity to flourish in the country – argued that he should have stepped down on February 7 this year, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock on the term once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office. Moise’s inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and “security concerns.” During his presidency, Moise repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country’s governing infrastructure empty. A [constitutional referendum is set to be held](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/americas/haiti-constitutional-referendum-delay-september-intl/index.html) in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections. The referendum had been championed by Moise as an opportunity to strengthen the Haitian presidency. Municipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed. It isn’t immediately clear who will replace Moise in the coming months. Judge Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN that the line of presidential succession in the country was murky given its political instability. Haiti’s President of the Supreme Court would normally be next in line, but that position is currently empty since its holder, René Sylvestre, [recently died of Covid-19](https://twitter.com/moisejovenel/status/1407812274618867712?s=20). For the acting Prime Minister Joseph to formally replace the President, he would have to be approved by Haiti’s parliament, said Morin. But the parliament is currently partially empty and effectively defunct. Muddying the waters further, Joseph was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste that “Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government.” There is another possible succession scenario, too, said Morin. “The precedent is that in 2015, it was the President of the National Assembly who replaced the President of the Republic. Today we don’t have a President of the National Assembly, but there is still a third of the Senate in Parliament and the third of the Senate is presided over by a former senator, named Joseph Lambert.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph appealed for calm. “The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces,” he said. He also called on the international community “to launch an investigation into the assassination and for the United Nations to hold a Security Council meeting on Haiti as soon as possible.” Joseph later asked the UN to deploy troops to help secure the country’s ports, airports and oil terminals. In addition, he asked the agency for assistance with electoral security and to help further investigate the assassination. Haiti was already facing a dire economic situation before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Its economy shrank a further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank. The recent spike in violence in the capital has only added to the troubles faced by many of its citizens, and complicated the work of aid groups such as Doctors without Borders and UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, in reaching vulnerable people. Bruno Maes, a UNICEF representative based in Port-au-Prince, told CNN last week that it is increasingly urgent that humanitarian workers be able to travel securely in the country as the peak of the Caribbean’s hurricane season approaches. UNICEF warned at the end of May that [severe acute childhood malnutrition](https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/haiti-funding-gap-threatens-lives-nearly-86000-children) in Haiti was expected to more than double this year as it deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, including clean water. More than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year, the agency said. UNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, had increased 61% over the last year. The United States is [sending senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/haiti-us-fbi-homeland-security-officials/index.html) at the request of that country’s government – and Haiti has asked for several hundred US troops as well. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday the officials would travel to Port-au-Prince “as soon as possible,” and once there would assess the situation and provide assistance on security and the investigation. The Haitian government has asked for US troops to help protect infrastructure, ports, airports and energy systems, Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre told CNN. Mathias said the request was for a limited number of about 500 troops and that he anticipated the threat to be “potential mercenaries.” The Pentagon said the Haitian government had “requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist.” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the Haitian National Police had also asked for investigative assistance from the US, and it was responding to that request. Psaki on Wednesday called Moise’s assassination a “horrific crime” and pledged that Joe Biden’s administration would stand with the people of Haiti. In May, the Biden administration [granted humanitarian protection for some Haitians](https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/22/politics/haitians-humanitarian-protections-biden-administration/index.html) in the United States, allowing an estimated 100,000 people to apply to remain lawfully in the country. The growing instability in the country could complicate upcoming decisions on future deportations of Haitians from the US. CNN’s Caitlin Hu reported and wrote from Port-au-Prince and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Betsy Klein and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.
Shard	51 (laksa)
Root Hash	2312100192101524051
Unparsed URL	com,cnn!www,/2021/07/07/americas/haiti-explainer-jovenel-moise-assassination-cmd-intl s443