Moïse's presidency coincided with a period of political instability in Haiti, includingcivil unrest,gang-related violence,fuel shortages and widespread lawlessness.[3][4] At approximately 1:00 a.m. on 7 July 2021, Moïse was shot several times and killed in a premeditated targeted attack at his private home inPétion-Ville, on the outskirts ofPort-au-Prince.[5][6][7]
Jovenel Moïse was born on 26 June 1968 inTrou du Nord,Nord-Est. Moïse's father,Étienne Moïse, was a farmer and a mechanic, while his mother,Lucia Bruno, was a seamstress. Moïse, alongside his family, relocated to Port-au-Prince in July 1974 where he attended primary school at the École Nationale Don Durélin, secondary school at Lycée Toussaint Louverture and the Centre Culturel duCollège Canado-Haïtien.[8] Moïse pursued studies inpolitical science, atQuisqueya University, with a particular focus on local governance and rural development.[9]
In 1996, Moïse marriedMartine Marie Étienne Joseph, his classmate at the time. They left Port-au-Prince that year and settled inPort-de-Paix, Nord-Est. Contemporary reports stated that after returning to rural Nord-Est he advocated rural development, proposing that Haiti address endemic poverty in part through an agrarian economy.[10] Jovenel and Martine Moïse had three children,Jomarlie Moïse,Jovenel Moïse Jr., andJoverlein Moïse.[9]
In the mid-1990s, Moïse established JoMar Auto Parts, a company that sold automobile components. The following year, he started an agricultural project, an organic banana plantation of more than 10 hectares (25 acres) in Haiti'sNord-Ouest department. In 2001, he worked withCulligan Water, an American water treatment company, to set up potable water filtration plants in the Nord-Ouest and Nord-Est departments. By 2004, Moïse joined the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCINO), later serving as its president.[11]
In 2012, Moïse founded Agritrans SA to manage what was presented as Haiti's first agricultural free-trade zone, a 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) banana plantation in the Nord-Est, known as theNourribo Project.[12] The project aimed to export bananas to Germany, which would have marked Haiti's first banana exports to the country since 1954, but only two containers were ultimately shipped.[13]
The Haitian government granted Agritrans tax-free access to land, a 15-year exemption from income tax and customs duties on capital equipment,[12] and a $6 million loan. Anonymous investors added at least $10 million. The company projected the creation of about 3,000 jobs, but by March 2015, only around 600 people had been employed.[14]
Moïse with Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau in 2018Moïse and other Caribbean leaders with U.S. PresidentDonald Trump inFlorida in 2019US Ambassador to the UNKelly Craft, and President Moïse in 2019U.S. Secretary of StateMike Pompeo and President Moïse in 2020
In 2015, Haitian PresidentMichel Martelly designated Moïse as the presidential candidate of the political party he had founded, the center-rightHaitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK).[15] In his campaign, Moïse promotedbiodynamic agriculture as an economic engine for Haiti, whose population was over 50% rural.[16]
In the first round of the2015 Haitian presidential elections, held on 25 October 2015, Moïse officially received 32.8% of the votes with 54 candidates competing, resulting in arunoff election in which Moïse would be running against the runner-up of the first round,Jude Célestin.[17][18] However, anexit poll conducted by theHaiti Sentinel reflected that Moïse had only received about 6% of the vote, and Célestin called the results fraudulent.[19][20] As a result, thousands of people took to the streets in violent protests, forcing the postponement of the runoff election.[21] In their wake, the 2015 ballot was ultimately annulled in June 2016.[17][22] In February 2016, following the incumbent PresidentMichel Martelly's resignation at the end of his term,special elections were held by parliament, andJocelerme Privert was installed as interim president until new elections could be held.[23]
On 20 November 2016, a new election was held. A week later, election officials declared, based on preliminary results, that Moïse had won the election with 55.67% of the vote and an estimated voter turnout of 21%, beating 26 other candidates—four of whom claimed victory before the official results were announced[22] .[24][25] Moïse secured the presidency without having to compete in a second-round election. In second, third and fourth place (respectively) were mechanical engineer Jude Célestin ofLAPEH with 19.52%, leftist senatorJean-Charles Moïse of thePlatfòm Pitit Dessalines (PPD) with 11.04% andMaryse Narcisse ofFanmi Lavalas (FL) with 8.99%.[26] Jovenel Moïse was sworn in on 7 February 2017 for a five-year term.[27]
Political opponents claimed that Moïse's five-year presidential term should have expired on 7 February 2021, five years after the conclusion of Michel Martelly's term followingthe disputed 2015 election. Moïse, however, maintained that his term commenced with his official inauguration on 7 February 2017, and would therefore end in 2022.[28]
In November 2019, Moïse met with U.S. Ambassador to theUnited Nations,Kelly Craft, to discuss the methods necessary to resolve Haiti's political crisis through inclusive dialogue.[29][30] Craft later met with several political leaders from other parties and urged an inclusive solution with Moïse.[30][31]
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During his presidency, Moïse prioritized agricultural and water infrastructure development in rural Haiti. In May 2021, he inaugurated the Marionhydroelectric dam in the Nord-Est department, which became the second-largest dam in the country.[32] The project was intended to supply electricity and irrigation for approximately 10,000 hectares of farmland. Moïse also supported the restoration of the Tannerie reservoir[33] and promoted the use of solar-powered pumping stations in theArtibonite region to boost rice cultivation.[34][35][36] Prior to his assassination, he had initiated efforts to divert water from theDajabón River for agricultural use.[37][38][39]
Moïse built roads in towns like Jeremie and Port-de-Paix, which include the Carrefour Joffre/Anse-à-Foleur and the Carrefour Trois-Rivières. He rebuilt the airport in Jérémie and constructed power plants to provide electricity to numerous small towns, including Jérémie and Port-de-Paix.[40]
Moïse received several allegations of corruption, including allegedly taking bribes for road-building projects and improperly awarding a contract to sell goats to the Haitian government.[44] These allegations, coupled with a declining quality of life for Haitian citizens throughout his administration, led to mass demonstrations that sought his resignation.
As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a second round was mandated by law. However, this was repeatedly postponed, and eventually cancelled,[47] with an interim president appointed indirectly by the legislature in theFebruary 2016 Haitian presidential election and fresh elections scheduled for 2016.[48]
Around 1:00 EDT (5:00 UTC) on 7 July 2021, 11 days after his 53rd birthday, Moïse was shot dead when gunmen attacked his residence in Pèlerin 5, a district of Pétion-Ville.[50][51][52][53] His wife Martine, thefirst lady of Haiti, was not killed, but wasairlifted toJackson Memorial Hospital inMiami to be treated for wounds she sustained during the attack.[54][55][56][57] Their three children were unharmed, as two hid successfully and one was not present. A press release issued later that day from the office of acting Prime MinisterClaude Joseph blamed the attack on "a group of unidentified individuals, some of whom spoke in Spanish." On 10 July, Martine Moïse posted a statement on her Twitter account, urging Haitians not to let her late husband's contributions go to waste.
In December 2021,The New York Times reported that Moïse's assassination might have been linked to his efforts to curb narcotics trafficking and publicly expose high-ranking Haitian officials involved in the drug trade.[58]
Ariel Henry, who had been selected as the acting prime minister by Moïse shortly before his assassination, was later accused by several officials of being connected to Joseph Felix Badio, an alleged mastermind of the assassination, and being involved in the planning.[59][60] Another of the alleged masterminds, Rodolphe Jaar, also stated that Henry was close to Badio and had protected him after the assassination.[61] Judge Garry Orélien, who was previously the top judicial official in Haiti overseeing the case, stated that Henry was friends with Badio and planned the assassination with him.[60] Henry resigned in 2024 following mass protests demanding that he abandon hisde facto governance as head of state.
On 20 February 2024, theAssociated Press reported that Haiti's investigating judge had indicted several suspects in Moïse's murder, including his widow Martine, former acting prime minister Joseph, and former police chief Léon Charles.[62] The indictment was overturned on 13 October 2025 following an appeal.[63]
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Although some praised his proposed reforms, Moïse faced significant criticism during his presidency and following his assassination. He was widely accused of attempting to alter the constitution to consolidate government power and extend his presidency.[64] In 2019, he was accused of embezzlement in relation to an investigation intoPetroCaribe funds.[65] Moise was denounced by Human Rights organization for criminalizing common forms of protest and creating an intelligence agency to provide surveillance of the political opposition.[66] A report by theInternational Human Rights Clinic atHarvard Law School found his government complicit in systematically employing violent gangs to suppress political demonstrations and opposition, including planning, executing and covering-up of deadly massacres that amounted to crimes against humanity. The report stated that Moïse’s failure to stop or respond to attacks initiated by his subordinates may have made himself liable for crimes against humanity.[67] Conversely, he also received commendation for his initiatives aimed at curbingcorruption and his willingness to dismantle monopolies, as well as his efforts to challenge oligarchs and members of the Haitian elite.[68]
President Moïse and former President Michel Martelly, both affiliated with the same political party, encountered substantial opposition and criticism during their respective administrations, primarily in connection with corruption and alleged associations with influential Haitian gangs.[69][70][71]
Moïse was awarded theOrder of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon by Taiwanese PresidentTsai Ing-wen in May 2018.[72][73] Tsai commended the economic initiatives undertaken by Moïse's government.[74]
^Robles, Frances (7 July 2021)."He Went from Banana Exporter to President: 'I Am Not a Dictator".The New York Times.Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved8 December 2021.To some, he was a corrupt leader, but to others, he was a reformer," said Leonie Hermantin, a Haitian community activist in Miami. "He was a man who was trying to change the power dynamics, particularly when it came to money and who had control over electricity contracts. The oligarchy was paid billions of dollars to provide electricity to a country that was still in the dark.
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