Haitians in the US shocked, outraged at Moise killing

Members of the Haitian community in United States (US) have reacted with shock and outrage at the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise by gunmen early yesterday morning at his private residence.

Michelle Adolphe, a Haitian American community leader in Brooklyn, New York, said the killing of the president was unacceptable.

“This should not have happened. This is not how you handle a head of state. It is very sad and it tells us that the world is in danger,” she said.

Noting that Haiti is not an easy place for any leader, she nevertheless said, “sometimes you have to know when to step down”.

Adolphe said she was informed of the assassination in a phone call from Haiti in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Well-known Haitian radio host in Brooklyn, Ricot Duprey, said every effort must be made to uncover the persons who carried out the killing.

“The Haitian community is shocked by this killing, but not many are shedding tears.”

Duprey noted that the current government had become dictatorial, suppressing the will of the people and seeking to change the country’s constitution to allow himself to continue in power.

However, he is of the opinion that what took place was unacceptable.

“Any assassination is a horrific thing to happen. The country has been going through turmoil and this will only add to the uncertainty,” he said.

‘Thought those days were behind us’

Linda Joseph, vice-president of the Haitian Democratic Club in Miami, Florida, said they were devastated by the assassination.

“In the middle of the 21st century a president is not better protected?” she questioned.

Joseph said the Haitian community is flabbergasted by what happened and it will take days for what occurred to sink in.

“We thought those days were behind us,” she lamented.

The Rev Dr Karen Green, vice-chair of the Florida Democratic Party and former director of the Caribbean Coalition, said in a statement that the Caribbean stands in solidarity with the Haitian people.

“As the Haitian communities in Florida and elsewhere mourn the killing and face uncertainty, I offer my solidarity with the people of Haiti and our Haitian communities,” she said.

Green said the Caribbean community stands ready to assist their Haitian brothers and sisters in whatever way they can.

Florida, with a Haitian population of just under 425,000 Haitians, has the largest number of Haitians of any state in the US. They have made and continue to make significant contributions to the development of the state and elsewhere in the United States, she said.

“In these unsettled and anxious moments, we want to reach out to our Haitian neighbours to offer support.

“As a Jamaican and Caribbean woman who has worked for diversity inclusion within the political system for Haitians and other Caribbean nationals, it is my sincere wish that all our communities will come together in solidarity with the Haitian people,” she said.

Glen Joseph, head of the Caribbean caucus in Florida, said it is unfortunate that this action has been taken, noting that it happened at a time of unrest in Haiti.

“Violence is not an answer and efforts must be made to find out who are behind it,” he said, noting that what occurred was a violation of international law.

Joseph noted that a more permanent solution to the Haitian crisis must be found, but it must begin with the Haitian people.