Foreign Affairs Minister Expresses Regret At Assassination Of Haitian President

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, has expressed deep regret and sadness on the assassination of Haitian President, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.

President Moïse, who held this post since 2017, was killed at his home on Wednesday (July 7). His wife, First Lady Martine Moïse, was injured during the attack.

“We all woke up to the shocking news of the early-morning assassination of the President and this has indeed left us all in Jamaica and across the region in mourning,” Mrs. Johnson Smith said, during a virtual post-Cabinet press briefing on July 7.

“We express condolences, sympathies and, indeed, our prayers to the Government and people of Haiti and, indeed, to the family of President Moïse and his wife,” she added.

She noted that Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, “has also communicated his own sadness on this tragedy that has befallen Haiti and its people and we convey our deepest condolences to the people of Haiti and to the family of President Moïse”.

“Jamaica wishes to reiterate its solidarity and support to our sister country, to our neighbour, to our fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country and its people at this terrible time as well as to members of the Haitian community who currently reside in Jamaica,” Mrs. Johnson Smith said.

She noted that “all of us in the region” have been closely watching the developments in Haiti and have been offering support and best wishes for the country’s return to peace and stability.

“We continue to await additional news on developments, including any action to be taken by CARICOM or, indeed, other regional and hemispheric organisations,” she said, noting that the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States (OAS) and CARICOM have all recently spoken and or issued reports in respect of matters in Haiti.