Thursday, March, 12 2026 - The widow of former Haitian president Jovenel Moïse has described the terrifying moment her husband realized they were about to be killed as armed attackers stormed their home during the 2021 assassination.
Testifying in a U.S. federal court, Martine Moïse recounted
the events of the night her husband was murdered while four men stand trial in
Miami over an alleged conspiracy tied to the attack.
Martine Moïse told the court that she and her husband were
asleep when gunfire suddenly erupted outside their residence near
Port-au-Prince in the early hours of July 7, 2021.
According to her testimony, when she woke up and asked her
husband what was happening, the president responded with chilling final words.
“Honey, we are dead,” he said.
Moments later, a group of heavily armed mercenaries, many of
them former soldiers from Colombia, forced their way into the home and opened
fire.
Martine Moïse told the court she tried to crawl downstairs
to check on her two adult children as the shooting continued. She later
returned to the bedroom where she and the president attempted to take cover on
the floor on opposite sides of the bed.
The attackers eventually burst into the room and began
firing what sounded like automatic weapons. Martine Moïse said she was shot
several times during the assault.
She also testified that she heard the attackers speaking
Spanish before someone shot her husband multiple times, killing him.
After the gunmen left, she expected to find the security
officers assigned to guard the presidential residence, but said none of them
were present.
She later learned that many of the security personnel had
allegedly been paid to abandon their posts before the attack.
The assassination of President Moïse plunged Haiti into deep
political turmoil, worsening instability in a country already struggling with
growing gang violence and a weakened government.
Martine Moïse survived the attack but suffered serious
injuries. She was first treated at a local hospital before being flown to the
United States for surgery. She told the court that her right arm remains
partially disabled and she still experiences pain from the wounds.
During cross-examination, defense lawyers questioned her
about previous investigations in Haiti that once linked her to the case. She
said the charges were later dropped and insisted that the people responsible
for her husband’s death are now in positions of power.
Martine Moïse also told the court she has fled Haiti because
she fears for her life and believes those behind the assassination want her
killed as well.
Prosecutors say the conspiracy to remove the president was
planned and financed partly in South Florida. The four men currently on trial
face charges related to kidnapping or killing the Haitian leader and could
receive life sentences if convicted.
However, defense lawyers argue that the investigation in
Haiti was flawed and claim their clients believed they were involved in a
lawful mission to arrest the president rather than assassinate him.
The trial is expected to last several weeks as prosecutors
attempt to unravel the complex international plot behind one of the most
shocking political killings in the Caribbean in recent years.

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