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A heavily armed commando unit that assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was made up of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans, authorities said, as the brain hunt for the murder continues.
Moses, 53, was shot and killed early Wednesday at his home by what officials called a trained group of foreign killers, plunging the poorest country in the Americas deeper into turmoil amid political divisions, hunger and widespread gang violence.
Authorities tracked down the suspected killers on Wednesday to a house near the scene of the crime in Pétionville, a northern suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince. An exchange of gunfire lasted late into the night and authorities arrested a number of suspects on Thursday.
Police chief Charles Leon paraded 17 men in front of reporters at a press conference Thursday evening, showing a number of Colombian passports along with assault rifles, machetes, walkie-talkies and equipment , including bolt cutters and hammers.
“Foreigners have come to our country to kill the president,” Charles said. “There were 26 Colombians, identified by their passports, and two Haitian Americans as well. “
He said 15 Colombians were captured, as well as two Haitian Americans. Three of the attackers were killed and eight remained at large, Charles said.
Eleven of the suspects were arrested after breaking into the Taiwanese embassy in Port-au-Prince, which is near the residence where Moïse was killed, according to a statement from the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry.
Early Thursday morning, embassy security discovered the “group of armed suspects”, described as “mercenaries” in the ministry’s statement, and informed the Haitian government. Taiwan agreed “without hesitation” to allow Haitian police access, a spokeswoman said.
“The Haitian police launched an operation around 4 pm… and successfully arrested 11 suspected armed criminals. The process went smoothly and the suspects did not resist. The spokesperson did not provide the nationalities of the arrested men.
The embassy was closed Wednesday as a security measure in response to the assassination and staff were working from home.
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said in a statement that preliminary information indicated that the Colombians involved in the attack were retired members of the country’s military. He said Bogotá would cooperate with the investigation.
Haitian Minister of Elections and Party Relations Mathias Pierre identified the Haitian-American suspects as James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55.
A State Department spokesperson could not confirm whether US citizens were among those detained, but US authorities were in regular contact with Haitian authorities, including investigating authorities, to discuss the matter. how the United States could provide assistance.
Officials from the predominantly French-speaking and Creole Caribbean nation said on Wednesday that the assassins appeared to have spoken in English and Spanish.
“It was a complete and well-equipped commando, with more than six cars and a lot of equipment,” said Pierre.
Authorities have not yet given a motive for the murder.
Moïse, a 53-year-old former banana exporter who took office in 2017, was murdered in his family home in the hills above Port-au-Prince around 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The first lady, Martine Moïse, was also injured and then evacuated to Miami, where she is said to be in stable condition.
According to new details that emerged from local reports, the attackers tied up staff and one of Moses’ three children survived by hiding in his brother’s bedroom.
Moses was shot at least a dozen times and died at the scene, according to Carl Henry Destin, a judicial official, who said the president’s office and bedroom had been ransacked.
“We found him lying on his back, with blue pants, a white shirt stained with blood, his mouth open, his left eye gouged out,” Destin told Haiti’s main newspaper Le Nouvelliste.
As details of the daring raid emerged, Haiti was shrouded in deep political uncertainty and the streets of the capital emptied as many residents chose to stay at home. “I really don’t know what to say… the insecurity is too strong,” said Darline Garnier, a 23-year-old university student from Pétionville, near where the president was killed.
“It’s a humiliation for our nation,” said Luckner Meronvil, a 46-year-old taxi driver, with tears in his eyes as he spoke.
Theories about who was behind the murder have spread to Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the same island. Amid claims that some of those involved in the attack spoke Spanish, the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported that investigators were examining the possibility that some of the assassins used the country to access or flee Haiti.
And in the feverish atmosphere, competing – and so far unverified – theories continued to emerge, one suggesting that a squad of Colombians and Venezuelans under contract with powerful figures in Haiti involved in trafficking. drugs and other crimes had ordered the murder, or the murder involved individuals linked to Moses’ own security personnel.
Many people in Haiti wanted Moïse to resign. Since taking office in 2017, he had faced calls to quit and mass protests, first over allegations of corruption and his management of the economy, and then over his growing grip on power. .
On Thursday, Haitians woke up in a country without a head of state, with a long-suspended parliament, two rival interim prime ministers – one of whom was due to be sworn in in the coming days – and a constitutional legal vacuum following the death of the coronavirus. the president of his supreme court.
This has created confusion as to who the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people is – Joseph, who has taken power so far, or Ariel Henry, who was appointed prime minister by Moses just before his death. and had to take an oath. this week.
“All the cards are up,” Fatton said of the apparent struggle between Henry and Joseph.
Ryan Berg, analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: “I can imagine a scenario in which there are issues regarding the loyalty of the armed forces and the national police, in the event that there are competing claims. to be placeholder chair. from the country.”
Pierre, the election minister, said Thursday evening that a presidential vote as well as a constitutional referendum that had been scheduled for September 26 before Moise’s assassination would go as planned.
“He [the vote] was not for Jovenel Moise as president – it was a requirement to get a more stable country, a more stable political system, so I think we will continue with that, ”Pierre said. He added that preparations had been underway for a long time and millions of dollars had been disbursed to carry out the votes.
Additional reporting by Helen Davidson
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