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Jovenel Moïse had struggled to allay growing public anger over his attempt to retain power despite the opposition’s insistence on the expiration of his term.
Mr. Moïse had ruled by decree for over a year. Many, including prominent legal scholars, argue that his term ended in February. Haiti has been rocked by protests against its regime and has also seen an increase in gang activity.
The opposition said Mr. Moïse’s five-year term should have ended on February 7, five years to the day since his predecessor, Michel Martelly, resigned. When Mr. Moïse refused to step down, thousands of Haitians took to the streets, setting garbage and tires on fire as they demanded his resignation.
In response, the government announced the arrest of 23 people, including a senior judge and a senior police officer, who the president said attempted to kill him and overthrow the government.
“The purpose of these people was to attempt to kill my life,” President Moïse said at the time. “This plan was aborted.”
Mr Moïse insisted he had one more year to serve as his tenure did not begin until a year after the vote that took him to the top post amid accusations of electoral fraud .
This year’s protests were part of larger unrest, with heavily armed gangs clashing in the streets and attacking police stations.
“Although the exact figures are still not clear, preliminary estimates suggest that thousands of people have fled their homes and sought refuge with host families or have moved into informal shelters,” the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. a report on the situation.
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