Haitian President Jovenel Moise Assassinated

President Jovenel Moise was assassinated Wednesday by gunmen who raided his residence in the early morning hours in the Pelerin neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. The assault wounded first lady Martine Moise, who would have died in the hospital a few hours later.

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"This morning, at one o'clock in the morning, July 7, a group of unidentified persons, speaking in Spanish and English, assassinated the President of the Republic. The president has died of his wounds," said acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph.

This official assured that the "security situation of the country is under control" and condemned the assassination, which he described as "an act of barbarism".

The assassination comes two months before the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for September 26, a political process in which Moise could not be a candidate.

Moise had called for the same date a referendum to approve a new Constitution, a project which did not have the support of the political opposition or the international community.

Haiti has been going through a strong political crisis since mid-2018 and experienced its most serious moment on Feb. 7, when Moise denounced that the opposition, with the support of judges, was plotting a coup d'état.

At the same time, Haiti is going through a deep security crisis, which has worsened since the beginning of June due to territorial disputes between armed gangs fighting for control of the poorest neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.