Opposition in Haiti calls for strike to force resignation of President Moïse

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) –The Haitian government has called for the security agencies to arrest perpetrators of “acts of violence” as the Democratic and Popular Movement (DPM), an opposition grouping of 20 political parties, Monday called a two-day general strike to force President Jovenel Moïse out of office.

“Instructions were passed to the police and the judiciary to put hands on the perpetrators of the acts of violence,” said Haiti's Minister of Justice and Public Security Jean Roody Aly, who added that all steps are being taken to facilitate the resumption of school activities in the French-speaking Caribbean Community country.

The opposition parties have been staging street demonstrations in support of their calls for President Moïse to step down after accusing him of not investigating allegations of corruption in the previous government over PetroCaribe, an oil alliance of many Caribbean states with Venezuela to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment.

But in a radio and television broadcast last week, Moïse dismissed calls for his resignation.

“It is within the framework of the democracy that the Haitian people elected me president in elections free and honest as [says] the Constitution.

“During the five years of my presidency, no one, I mean nobody, whatever the pretext, cannot threaten the interests of the country or put the nation in danger. The strength of any democracy, it is the respect of the law,” Moïse said.

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