Haiti’s Political Crisis Just Went From Bad to Worse

Haiti’s Political Crisis Just Went From Bad to Worse
Police stand near a mural featuring Haitian President Jovenel Moise, near the leader’s residence where he was killed by gunmen, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 7, 2021 (AP photo by Joseph Odelyn).

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There’s still a lot of confusion about the circumstances surrounding the attack that took Haitian President Jovenel Moise’s life and seriously wounded his wife, who is being treated at a hospital in Florida. But one thing is certain: The power vacuum it created has exacerbated a political crisis that already seemed intractable and potentially explosive.

According to Haitian authorities, the attack on Moise’s home early Wednesday was carried out by a professional and heavily armed team that included 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. So far, 15 of the Colombian assailants have been captured, as have both Haitian Americans. Three others were killed in a firefight with Haitian security forces, and eight remain unaccounted for. Colombia’s defense minister confirmed that at least some of the captured and killed attackers were retired members of the Colombian army.

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