Haiti President Assassinated: Jovenel Moise Shot At Home In 'Barbaric Act'

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was shot and killed at his private home by unidentified attackers, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said Wednesday. Joseph called the assassination an "inhuman and barbaric act."

Authorities said the attackers stormed the residence and killed the president. His wife, Martine, was seriously injured in the attack and was receiving medical care, Reuters reported. Moise was 53 years old.

Joseph said in a statement that the attack was carried out by an “armed commando group,” including some individuals who were speaking in Spanish.

"All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the state and to protect the nation," Joseph added. The attack came amid a rising wave of politics-related violence in the poorest country in the Americas.

Moïse had been governing the country by decree since January 2020 due to the absence of a functioning legislature. Last month, the electoral commission announced that the country's constitutional referendum, which was initially slated for April, will be held on Sept. 26. The referendum had been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, tributes flooded on Twitter, calling out the "heinous act."