Haiti,officially the Republic of Haiti,is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea,east of Cuba and Jamaica,and south of The Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island,which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean,and with an estimated population of 11.4 million,is the most populous Caribbean country. The capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president. As a priest,he taught liberation theology and,as a president,he attempted to normalize Afro-Creole culture,including Vodou religion,in Haiti. Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies to become a priest. He became a focal point for the pro-democracy movement first under Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and then under the military transition regime which followed. He won the 1990–91 Haitian general election,with 67% of the vote.
Jean-Claude Duvalier,nicknamed "Baby Doc",was a Haitian politician who was the President of Haiti from 1971 until he was overthrown by a popular uprising in February 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after his death in 1971. After assuming power,he introduced cosmetic changes to his father's regime and delegated much authority to his advisors. Thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured,and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere.
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean is a Haitian rapper and record producer. At the age of nine,Jean and his family emigrated to Northeastern United States. He formed the New Jersey-based hip hop trio Fugees in 1990 with fellow musicians Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel,for which Jean served as lead guitarist and producer. The group released the albums Blunted on Reality (1994) and The Score (1996),the latter became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Following their success,Jean released his debut solo album,Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival (1997),which yielded the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "Gone till November".
Hérard Abraham was a Haitian military officer and politician who served as acting President of Haiti between 10 March 1990 and 13 March 1990.
Michel Joseph Martelly is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016.
The First Empire of Haiti,officially known as the Empire of Haiti,was an elective monarchy in North America. Haiti was controlled by France before declaring independence on 1 January 1804. The Governor-General of Haiti,Jean-Jacques Dessalines,created the empire on 22 September 1804. After being proclaimed emperor by the Generals of the Haitian Revolution Army,he held his coronation ceremony on 6 October and took the name Jacques I. The constitution of 20 May 1805 set out the way the empire was to be governed,with the country split into six military divisions. The general of each division corresponded directly with the emperor or the general in chief appointed by the emperor. The constitution also set out the succession to the throne,with the crown being elective and the reigning emperor having the power to appoint his successor. The constitution also banned white people,with the exception of naturalised Germans and Poles,from owning property inside the empire.
Louis Mondestin Florvil Hyppolite was a Haitian general and politician who served as the President of Haiti from 17 October 1889 to 24 March 1896.
John Edward West Thompson was an American physician and diplomat. His parents were immigrants to New York City from Haiti. In 1884,after graduating from Yale University and studying medicine further in Europe,Thompson became one of the first African-American physicians to practice in New York City.
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche was a Haitian engineer. He was one of only three passengers of known Haitian ancestry on the ill-fated voyage of RMS Titanic.
Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal was a Haitian politician who served as the president of Haiti three times.
François Denys Légitime was a Haitian general who served as President of Haiti from 1888 to 1889.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security is a ministry of the Government of Haiti. This ministry is responsible for law enforcement roles,along with playing an integral role in the Prime Minister's Cabinet.
The Ministry of Defense )is a ministry of the Government of Haiti. This ministry is responsible for military and defense of the country,along with playing an integral role in the Prime Minister's Cabinet.
Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 25 October 2015,alongside local elections and the second round of the legislative elections. Incumbent President Michel Martelly was constitutionally barred from running. As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round,a runoff was to be held on 27 December 2015. On 22 December the Conseil Electoral Provisoire (CEP) announced that the runoff has been postponed indefinitely. However,on 1 January 2016 President Michel Martelly announced that the runoff would be held on 17 January,but on 7 January the President changed the date to 24 January. On 20 January,Jude Célestin issued a statement that calls "whatever the person who will participate in this January 24 [runoff],is a traitor to the Nation". Because of rioting and electoral violence,on 22 January the CEP decided to postpone the second round again,with no specific date given,even after President Michel Martelly confirmed the previous day in a nationwide speech that the election should still take place. The run-off date was later agreed to take place on 24 April 2016.
Jovenel Moïse was a Haitian politician and entrepreneur,who served as the 43rd president of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He assumed the presidency in February 2017 after winning the November 2016 election. During his term,Haiti experienced widespread protests and unrest. In the early morning of 7 July 2021,Moïse was assassinated,and his wife Martine was injured during an attack on their private residence in Pétion-Ville. Claude Joseph assumed the role of acting president in the aftermath of Moïse's assassination.
Protests began in cities throughout Haiti on 7 July 2018 in response to increased fuel prices. Over time,these protests evolved into demands for the resignation of Jovenel Moïse,the then-president of Haiti. Led by opposition politician Jean-Charles Moïse,protesters stated that their goals were to create a transitional government,provide social programs,and prosecute allegedly corrupt officials. From 2019 to 2021,massive protests called for the Jovenel Moïse government to resign. Moïse had come in first in the 2016 presidential election,for which voter turnout was 21%. The 2015 elections had been annulled due to fraud. On 7 February 2021,supporters of the opposition allegedly attempted a coup d'état,leading to 23 arrests,as well as clashes between protestors and police.
Jovenel Moïse,the 43rd president of Haiti,was assassinated on 7 July 2021 at 1 am EDT (UTC−04:00) at his residence in Port-au-Prince. A group of 28 foreign mercenaries,mostly from Colombia,are alleged to be responsible for the killing. First Lady Martine Moïse was also shot multiple times in the attack,and was airlifted to the United States for emergency treatment. Later in the day,USGPN killed three of the suspected assassins and arrested 20 more. A manhunt was launched for other gunmen as well as the masterminds of the attack. Haitian chief prosecutor Bedford Claude confirmed plans to question Moïse's top bodyguards;none of the president's security guards were killed or injured in the attack. US authorities have since arrested eleven suspects alleged to have conspired in the assassination. Martine Moïse and former prime minister Claude Joseph were formally charged on 19 February 2024 with conspiring in the assassination.
Ariel Henry is a Haitian neurosurgeon and politician who served as the acting prime minister after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse,until his formal resignation on 24 April 2024. During this period where the role of the head of state was vacant,the Council of Ministers he presided exercised executive power. He also served as the acting Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities.
