Haiti’s president assassinated

A copy of the statement from acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph is circulating on social media following news of the early hours attack on the Haitian President’s residence.

The official account of the Embassy of Haiti in Canada tweeted the government communique before following up with a subsequent tweet expressing its “great sadness” in confirming the death of the president. The embassy also said, “The First Lady, injured, receives the necessary care. Our hearts go out to the presidential family and to the whole nation.”

This is a translation of the full Haitian press release from PM Joseph:

“At around one (1) o’clock in the morning, on the night of Tuesday, July 6 to Wednesday, July 7, 2021, a group of unidentified individuals, some of whom were speaking in Spanish, attacked the private residence of the President of the Republic and fatally wounded the Head of State. The First Lady was shot and is receiving the necessary treatment.

“Condemning this heinous, inhumane and barbaric act, the Prime Minister a.i., Dr. Claude Joseph, and the CSPN are calling for calm. The security situation in the country is under the control of the Haitian National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces.

“All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the State and to protect the Nation.

“Democracy and the Republic will win.”