The United Nations is calling for calm after the president of Haiti was gunned down by two assassins who claimed to be DEA agents.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise was shot to death and his wife was wounded in their home early Wednesday, according to published reports.
The gunmen reportedly identified themselves as agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The gunmen spoke Spanish, not the island’s native French or Creole languages, witnesses say.
The assassination was confirmed by Claude Joseph, the interim prime minister, on Wednesday.
The First Lady Martine Moise was also shot, but her condition is unknown, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. Congress and lawmakers called for a full investigation and said the perpetrators must be held accountable.
Moise’s death will likely cause more unrest in Haiti. Opposition protesters burned tires during a demonstration, calling for Moise’s departure in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 18, 2020.
Joseph said the police and military are in control of the security situation in Haiti.
Joe Biden acknowledged the presidential assassination as he boarded Air Force One on Wednesday morning. “We need a lot more information, but it’s very worrisome about the state of Haiti,” the U.S. president said.
