The president of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, has been assassinated in an attack at his home on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince and his wife has been taken to hospital, an official has said.
The assassination was carried out by a "well-coordinated" commando group with "foreign elements," Agence France-Press said, citing Acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph.
"The president was assassinated at his home by foreigners who spoke English and Spanish," Agence France-Presse quoted Joseph as saying.
Joseph, who is now leading the country, declared a state of siege in Haiti and shut down the Port-au-Prince International Airport.
Haiti's first lady, who survived the attack, was in critical condition and efforts were underway to bring her to Miami for treatment, Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Bochhit Edmond said Wednesday.
Police said they killed four suspected gunmen and arrested two others hours later. Three police officers held hostage by the attackers were freed, Léon Charles, Haiti National Police chief, said.
Joseph labelled the assassination a "hateful, inhumane and barbaric act," saying the assassins had used high-caliber weapons in the attack.
An official says Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has been assassinated after a group of unidentified people attacked his private residence. Moïse’s wife, First Lady Martine Moïse, is hospitalized, interim Premier Claude Joseph said. https://t.co/JXK0M4oiaZ — The Associated Press (@AP) July 7, 2021
Government footage suggested the killers got into Moise's home by claiming to be U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationA) agents, according to reports.
However, in an interview with Reuters, Edmond said "no way they were DEA agents."
Violent protests erupted earlier this year over accusations of corruption in the government as well as the president's refusal to step down when his term ended in February.
The U.S., France and other countries have said they were also worried about the authoritarian rule of Moïse, who has more control over the country's military.
Moïse had been in power since early 2020, after he delayed legislative elections and was pushing to revise Haiti's constitution to allow the president to run for a second term.
New presidential elections are scheduled for September.
Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez called the killing a "cowardly act."
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader condemned the killing as "an attack against the democratic order of Haiti and the region."
U.S. President Joe Biden branded it as "heinous," and called the resulting situation "worrisome."
