Haiti: Widow of Slain President Among Dozens Indicted

Haiti: Widow of Slain President Among Dozens Indicted
Image copyright: Owen Franken - Corbis/Corbis News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • A judge in Haiti has indicted 51 individuals for their alleged roles in the 2021 assassination of Pres. Jovenel Moïse, including his widow Martine who has been charged with conspiracy to murder despite being shot in her hand and elbow during the attack.

  • Among those charged are also former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and Haitian National Police Captain Léon Charles, who now serves as the country's permanent delegate to the Organization of the American States.


The Spin

Narrative A

There is a classic coup d'etat underway in Haiti right now, as Prime Minister Henry takes advantage of the country's corrupt justice system to unjustly persecute his opponents. It's Henry himself who benefited the most from the killing of Moïse, and — all too coincidentally — he had telephone contact with Badio the night of the murder.

Narrative B

While Prime Minister Henry has been accused of being complicit in the killing and now using the state machinery to advance his agenda, it's undeniably strange that Martine told people in the National Palace, just two days after the death of her husband, that Moïse hadn't done anything "for us" in office and that she wanted to succeed him with the help of Claude Joseph.

Nerd narrative

There is a 66% chance that Haiti will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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