Eleven suspects in Haitian president Moise’s murder arrested at Taiwan embassy

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Eleven of the suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise were arrested at the Taiwanese embassy in the Haitian capital, the diplomatic legation itself confirmed Friday.

The Taiwanese diplomatic representation assured in a statement that “this Thursday morning, July 8, 2021, the Haitian police intended to enter the Embassy to pursue the suspects” who had entered the legation and were subsequently arrested.

It was an operation that “was immediately authorized, to demonstrate” Taipei’s commitment to the Haitian people and to allow “the truth of the incident to be discovered as soon as possible.” Haitian police, the statement continued, “launched an operation at around 4 PM (local time) and successfully arrested eleven suspects.”

Subsequently, the security forces proceeded to interrogate the alleged perpetrators of the assassination.

Taiwan’s diplomatic headquarters in the Caribbean country also stated that it “welcomed the quick reaction of the Haitian authorities and continues, as always, to work together with the people” of this country.

At the same time, it described as “cruel and barbaric” the assassination of Moise, an event that “has completely shocked the whole world”.

Haiti intensified on Thursday the police operation to capture the perpetrators of the assassination and announced the arrest of 17 of the alleged perpetrators, which numbered 28, mostly Colombians.

Fifteen Colombians and two Americans of Haitian origin are in police custody. At the same time, three other Colombian nationals were killed in shootouts with security forces, according to the first official statement revealing the nationality of the alleged “mercenaries”.

The other eight members of the commando who participated in the assault on Moise’s residence in the early hours of Wednesday morning, also Colombians, are on the run and are “actively” sought, according to the general director of the Police, Léon Charles.

Meanwhile, the interim Prime Minister, Claude Joseph, who is in charge of the country after the death of Moise, called again on the population to remain calm and avoid vandalism acts.

Despite these tensions and the continuation of the state of siege decreed on Wednesday, the government took the first steps on Thursday to return to normality, reopening the international airport of Port-au-Prince and an appeal to civil servants to return to their jobs.