Protests outside Jovenel Moïse’s funeral in Haiti tarnish his farewell

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The protests registered Friday during the funeral of President Jovenel Moïse, a short distance from the funeral site, have tarnished the ceremony, held at the family residence, on a farm near Cap-Haitien, in the presence of about a thousand people.

Moïse’s coffin, covered with the Haitian flag and permanently guarded by four members of the presidential guard in full dress, was exposed from the early hours on a central platform, covered by a tent, around which platforms were placed to accommodate the attendees.

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Some illustrious guests were greeted with caution by those in attendance, the most reviled being the head of the National Police, Léon Charles, who was sharply rebuked and even called a murderer, as many believe him to be an accomplice in the assassination of the president.

On the other hand, the opposition leader Moise Jean Charles was received with applause when he arrived escorted by heavily armed men, as were many of the guests. At the front of the VIP tribune, there were more than twenty bodyguards in military attire and automatic weapons.

There sat, among others, the outgoing Prime Minister, Claude Joseph, and the newly sworn-in head of government, Ariel Henry, and the U.S. Ambassador, Michelle J. Sison, accompanied by her diplomatic delegation.

The most awaited person of the day was the first lady, Martine Moïse, who attracted a swarm of press and people who surrounded her as she made her way to the coffin, where she remained for a few moments accompanied by her children, before the beginning of the religious service.

PROTESTS OUTSIDE

During the ceremony, the air became unpleasant, almost pungent, due to the tear gas that police fired at burning tires outside the property where protests were taking place, creating a thick smoke that was visible from the funeral site.

The agents also fired their weapons at the demonstrators stationed at the property entrance, a few hundred meters away from the ceremony site, shots that were drowned out by the chanting and the sermon that was taking place at the time.

THE FIRST LADY’S WORDS

With the liturgy concluded, speeches were made by the president’s sister, Marielle Moïse, the deceased’s youngest son, Joverlen, and the first lady, Martine.

In her speech, the widow called for justice for her husband, stating that the assassination, which occurred on July 7 at his residence at the hands of an armed commando in which she was also wounded, was the product of betrayal.

“You were abandoned and betrayed. Your assassination exposed (the) ugliness and cowardice,” said Martine, who assured that Moise’s “greatest sin” was “to love his country. Defending the weakest against the greed of others” and, for that, “you were brutally assassinated. They conspired against you. They hated you, they threw poison at you,” he said.

After the civil ceremony, the family was left in privacy to bury Jovenel Moïse, who will rest next to his father’s remains, buried in the family estate.

ROADBLOCKS

When the retinues left the farm, the police needed to open the way, shooting on both sides, and to avoid the barricades that the demonstrators had placed to block the road that starts from the place in the direction of Port-au-Prince, since in the direction of Cap-Haitien it was not possible to circulate.

On the way, gunshots could be heard very close to the unpaved road, along which the vehicles drove as fast as possible, taking into account the conditions of the terrain so as not to fall victim to the gunfire, which left an intense smell of gunpowder.

The U.S. Government expressed its “deep concern” about the situation on the ground in Haiti. It stressed that it would continue to offer the country’s authorities security assistance, including training for its police to deal with the violence.

This was stated in a statement by the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, after the incidents that occurred during the funeral of the Haitian President.