The assassination attempt took place during festivities surrounding a national holiday. Police and armed groups clashed during a celebration in Gonaïves, about 150 kilometers north of the capital Port-au-Prince. It was there 200 years ago that the Haitian Declaration of Independence was signed.
According to Henry, the attack was aimed at him personally. Prior to his visit to Gonaïves, there was already a lot of resistance from civilians and armed gangs. “I knew the visit was a risk,” Henry said in a telephone conversation with AFP.
Photos shared by Henry’s office with the news agency show a print of a bullet on the windshield of his armored vehicle. Images have also been posted on social media showing the prime minister trying to reach his car while under fire.
unrest
There has been a lot of unrest in Haiti for some time as a result of poverty, natural disasters and gang violence. There has been no functioning parliament for two years. Moreover, since the assassination of President Moïse, the crisis has only deepened.
A few weeks after the president’s assassination, Henry was sworn in. He has promised to call new elections, but a date for this has not yet been set.