Jacob Ogles
Haitian First Lady Martine Moïse may be treated in Miami after an attack at her home in which her husband, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, was killed.
Bocchit Edmond, Haitian Ambassador to the U.S., told CNN the First Lady would be brought to a hospital in Miami for treatment. He said she remains in stable but critical condition after being shot.
The death of the President has thrown the future of the island into uncertainty. The next in succession to be President should be the President of Haiti’s Supreme Court by law. However, René Sylvestre, the last to hold that position, died from COVID-19 on June 23.
Premier Claude Joseph has stepped into the role of heading the government on an interim basis.
The international matter is of particular significance to Florida, a state less than 700 miles from the island nation. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that as of 2018, about 49% of the 687,000 Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. reside in Florida.
The U.S. Census as of 2018 estimated more than 1.03 million Haitian American citizens now live in America, the bulk of them in South Florida.
Many of the federal officials representing Florida have called for swift involvement by the United States in stabilizing the island.
