The power struggle that emerged in Haiti after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse seems to be coming to an end.
Claude Joseph, the man who took control of the government after the assassination and who had previously held the position of prime minister, announced that he will resign this Tuesday and will cede power to Ariel Henry.
The announcement comes after a period of great uncertainty in the country after the assassination of the president.
Henry had been appointed prime minister two days before Moïse’s death, but He was not invested in the position.
The president was assassinated on July 7 when a group of armed men broke into his private residence in Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital.
Haiti was more polarized than ever and several politicians had been at odds, vying for control of the government.
Now Joseph agreed to hand over power to Henry and join a new government of unity with the aim of maintaining stability in the country and preparing the ground for the elections called for September.
On Monday Joseph announced that he had met with Henry to resolve what he called “the dispute over leadership “and that he had agreed to resign from office ” for the good of the nation. “
they know they know I’m not interested in this battle or any kind of power grab, ”Joseph told The Washington Post.
“The president was a friend. I am only interested in seeing justice done, ”he added.
Joseph indicated that he would occupy the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Ariel Henry.
Who is Ariel Henry?
Ariel Henry is a politician and neurosurgeon from 71 Years he studied at universities in France and Boston, in the United States.
He is a member of the Inite, a center-left social democratic party .
He is one of the most prominent neurosurgeons in the country.
Worked in France during 19 years and upon returning to Haiti he served as chief of neurosurgery in one of the most important hospitals in the country.
He first entered the political scene in the early decade of 2000 as a leading figure of the opposition Democratic Convergence movement, who was fighting to expel the power to then President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
When René Préval came to power in 2006, Henry joined his cabinet as director general of the Ministry of Health.
He held various positions in Health and was in charge of the public health response after the catastrophic earthquake that shook the country in 2010.
Later also directed the answer to the deadly cholera epidemic that his Haiti cold in 2012, after that Nepalese UN peacekeepers contaminated the tributaries of the rivers in the Artibonite Valley.
Since 2016 Ariel Henry has been Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and later Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities.
Last year, with the new threat of the covid pandemic – 19, Moïse appointed Henry as advisor to the government’s scientific group on responding to the health crisis.
Henry is the son of Pastor Elie S. Henry, spiritual leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who died in 2015 at the age of 71
He is also the brother of Pastor Elie Henry, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America, who in December of 2020 captured the attention of the international media when he was the victim of a kidnapping along with his daughter, Irma.
Four days later they were released unharmed.
“Illusion of hope ”
On July 5, 2021, two days before the assassination of Jovenel Moïse, Arie Henry was appointed by the president as Prime Minister of Haiti, the position for which he will now be
In a short speech to the nation posted online Sunday, Henry called for political unity and said he would soon announce a consensus government that will lead the country until elections can be held to select a new president.
“I have the honor to address you in my capacity as prime minister, p To launch a solemn appeal to national unity, the union of our forces and the cooperation of all to stop this race towards the abyss, climb the slope and protect our country from the many dangers that threaten it “, he declared.
However, some analysts point out that Henry’s inauguration is unlikely to end the volatile political and social situation in Haiti.
The de facto designation with which Henry obtained the position, was received with indignation by activists and leaders who believe that it does not take into account the will of the people.
Before his assassination, many were calling for Moïse’s resignation and had said that they would not recognize anyone the president had appointed.
“Will (Henry) change the rules of the game? Is he the right man to tackle threatened vital national interests? Does he have the political potential to play a neutral negotiating role? ”Michel Eric Gaillard, a political analyst based in Port-au-Prince, told the Miami Herald.
“ Most likely not. How will you be able to maneuver a sinking ship if you are wearing a straitjacket? It is an illusion of hope ”, said the analyst.
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