After the assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse on Wednesday, Haiti’s interim prime minister has declared a “state of siege” and imposed martial law.
The first lady, Martine Moïse, was injured in the attack and was airlifted to a hospital in Miami, where she is reportedly in critical but stable condition. Haitian police say they’ve arrested two suspected assassins and killed four others in a gunfight.
Video from the scene shows the heavily armed attackers claimed to be from the US, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). But US State Department spokesperson Ned Price dismissed those claims Wednesday and condemned the assassination of President Moïse.
The spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that, “Those who seek to accomplish their political goals through violence and by subverting the rule of law will not succeed in thwarting the Haitian people and their desire for a better, for a brighter future.”
In previous, the US twice supported coups that removed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power first in 1991, then again in 2004.
It is still unclear who is currently in charge of Haiti. Shortly before his assassination, Moïse announced plans to install a new prime minister to replace interim Premier Claude Joseph. Two men are now claiming the position.
