Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian politician and businessman who served as President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021.

Moïse assumed the presidency in February 2017 following his victory the November 2016 Haitian presidential election. Moïse's term as president would be overshadowed by Haiti's descent into a severe state of crisis characterized by civil unrest, gang-related violence, severe fuel shortages, and general lawlessness.

At approximately 1:00am in the morning on July 7, 2021, Moïse was shot numerous times and killed in a targeted attack on his private home in Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince.

Early life and education

Jovenel Moïse was born on June 26, 1968 in Trou du Nord, Nord-Est, Haiti. Moïse's father was a farmer and a mechanic, while his mother was a seamstress. Moïse, alongside his family, relocated to Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, in July 1974. Moïse attended primary school at the École Nationale Don Durélin in Port-au-Prince and secondary school at Lycée Toussaint Louverture and the Centre Culturel du Collège Canado-Haïtien. Moïse would attend Quisqueya University, where he studied educational sciences.

In 1996, Moïse married Martine Marie Étienne Joseph, his classmate at the time. The couple decided to leave the capital that same year and settled in Port-de-Paix, Nord-Est. Returning to the rural Nord-Est of his birth, Moïse would become a staunch proponent of rural development, envisioning a future in which Haiti could solve its problems of endemic poverty by transitioning into an agrarian society. Together, Jovenel and Martine Moïse had three children: Jomarlie Moïse, Jovenel Moïse Jr., and Joverlein Moïse.

Business career

Moïse's business career began with the founding of JoMar Auto Parts. The following year, he began work on his first agricultural project, an organic banana plantation covering more than 10 hectares (25 acres) of land in Nord-Ouest, Haiti. In 2001, Moïse began dealings with Culligan Water, an American water treatment company, to build potable water filtration plants in the Nord-Ouest and Nord-Est departments. In 2004, Moïse would become a member of the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCINO), and soon after would be elected CCINO president not long after.

In 2012, Moïse founded Agritrans SA to oversee Haiti's first agricultural free-trade zone, a 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) banana plantation in Nord-Est, known as the "Nourribo Project". Nourribo was intended to produce and export bananas to Germany, which would have led to Haiti's first export to the country since 1954. However, only two containers were ever sent.

The Haitian government had granted Agritrans tax-free access to the land, exemption from income tax and customs duties on the purchase of capital equipment for 15 years,Agriculture: Creation of the first Haitian Agricultural Free Zone
, 10 August 2013, Haiti Libre. Accessed 9 July 2021. and a $6 million loan to the new company, Agritrans, owned by Moïse, the president of the local chamber of commerce. Anonymous investors contributed at least another $10 million. Agritrans promised to create about 3,000 jobs; however, as of March 2015, it had employed only 600.

Political career

In 2015, Haitian President Michel Martelly designated Moïse as the presidential candidate of the political party he had founded, the center-right Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK). In his campaign, Moïse promoted biodynamic agriculture as an economic engine for Haiti, whose population was over 50% rural.

In the first round of the 2025 Haitian presidential elections, held on October 15, 2015, Moïse received 32.8% of the votes with 54 candidates competing, resulting in a runoff election in which Moïse would be running against the runner-up of the first round, Jude Célestin. However, an exit poll conducted by the ''Haiti Sentinel'' reflected that Moïse had only received about 6% of the vote, and Célestin called the results fraudulent. As a result, thousands of people took to the streets in violent protests, forcing the postponement of the runoff election. In their wake, the ballot was ultimately annulled in June 2016. In February 2016, following the incumbent President Michel Martelly's resignation at the end of his term, special elections were held by parliament, and Jocelerme Privert was installed as interim president until new elections could be held.

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 out 26 other candidates — four of whom claimed victory, before the official results were announced. Moïse secured the presidency without having to compete in a second-round election. In second, third, and fourth place were mechanical engineer Jude Celestin of LAPEH with 19.52%, leftist senator Jean-Charles Moïse of the Platfòm Pitit Dessalines (PPD) with 11.04%, and Maryse Narcisse of Fanmi Lavalas (FL) with 8.99%. Jovenel Moïse was sworn in on 7 February 2017, for a five-year term.

Moïse faced opposition from political leaders who argued that his five-year term should end on 7 February 2021. They based this on the belief that his term should begin from the date of the inconclusive 2015 elections, meaning his mandate would expire five years later, on the same date his predecessor stepped down. However, Moïse, counting from the date of his inauguration, asserted that his term would not end until 2022.

In November 2019, Moïse met at the National Palace with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, to discuss the methods necessary to implement a consensual resolution of Haiti's political crisis through inclusive dialogue. Craft later met with several political leaders from other parties and urged an inclusive solution with Moïse.

Presidency

Agricultural

President Moïse built the second-largest hydropower plant and agricultural water reservoir in Haiti, following the construction of the Péligre Dam. He built the "Barrage Marion" in Marion, Haiti, which provides electricity and water to farmers in Northern Haiti, and rebuilt another water reservoir, the "Barrage la Tannerie," to make more water available for farmers to increase agricultural production in that area. He built several water pumping stations using solar power for the same purpose. President Moise was in the process of building a diversion of water from the Dajabón River when he was assassinated.

President Moïse worked to expand the reach of the Artibonite department. He leveraged the Ministry of Public Works to curate the water channel system, making it easier for the farmers to grow rice.

Infrastructure

President 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 and upgraded the airport in Jérémie and constructed power plants to provide electricity to numerous small towns, including Jérémie and Port-de-Paix.

President Moïse built several asphalt plants in several provinces in Haiti, including in Gros Mornes, Les Cayes, and Trou-du-Nord.

Controversies

President Moïse concurred with several allegations of corruption, including allegedly taking bribes for road-building projects and short-selling a contract to sell goats to the Haitian government. These allegations, coupled with a declining quality of life for Haitian citizens throughout his administration, led to mass demonstrations that sought his resignation.

Electoral history

Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 25 October 2015, alongside local elections and the second round of legislative elections.

2015 presidential election

As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a second round was mandated by law. However, this was repeatedly postponed, and eventually canceled, with an interim president appointed indirectly by the legislature in the February 2016 Haitian presidential election

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases