Haiti: Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph declared a state of siege throughout the national territory and called for calm after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, Cubasí reports.
In an address broadcast by national television stations and social networks, Joseph reiterated that the Council of Ministers will guarantee the continuity of the State and the safety of citizens.
The first information suggests that the armed command was made up of people who spoke English and Spanish, Joseph said during his speech in which he insisted that both the Police and the Army have orders to maintain calm in the country.
He also pointed out that after the assassination, the Government focused on guaranteeing the safety of the presidential family.
Since this morning, the Toussaint Louverture international airport closed its doors while the Government of the neighboring Dominican Republic ordered similar measures with the border that divides the two countries.
For the moment the capital remains quiet, with a notable decrease in traffic on its main avenues, as well as few pedestrians and merchants.
In nearby cities such as Jacmel, southeast of Port-au-Prince, citizens also preferred to stay in their homes, according to local media.
The president’s assassination occurred around 1:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, and during the events the first lady Martine Moïse was also injured and later died.
The assassination occurs at a time of great political crisis in the country, and a few months before the general elections scheduled by the Government to renew political personnel.
Moïse became president in February 2017, after a controversial electoral process in which he only voted 20 percent of his electoral roll.
His management was marked by intense anti-government protests, the sharpening of political disagreements and the increase in insecurity with the proliferation of armed gangs.