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Assassinated: Haitian President Jovenel Moïse cut down by mercenaries in his prime

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#Haiti, July 8, 2021 – First Lady Matine Moise has survived the attack on her home which killed her husband, the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, Jovenel Moise. 

In a story which is heartbreaking, horrifying, angering, confusing and still developing there are many questions including how the assailants managed to infiltrate the usually heavy security surrounding the president.  Security Forces are layers thick; placed in his neighbourhood, on the compound of his home and within the house.  Yet, around 1 a.m. on Wednesday the commandoes got into the private home and gunned down 53-year-old Moïse, his wife was also struck by bullets. 

Now, the first lady is airlifted to medical care in South Florida and prayers are launched in hopes she will pull through despite having sustained critical injuries. 

Weeping has been reported to Magnetic Media… those who loved the president are mortified by the news.

Others who know of the volatility of Haiti which has erupted several times in politically driven protests said it was hot on the ground, and his assassination is not a huge surprise. 

Haiti has in recent years, under the leadership of Moïse has seen controversial and unpopular decisions made.  Old friends like Venezuela, disappointed.  A relationship with China abandoned in favour of Taiwan. New strategies to end food dependency and boost agriculture drawing warnings from the Dominican Republic; allegedly exploitive contracts and policies ended, which have offended the ‘Boujwazee’ and the Church.

Moïse was seen as a maverick, who did what other country leaders had failed to do, but his political naiveté may have cost him his life. President Moïse was also seen as a dictator who refused to demit office and hold a general election as constitutionally mandated.  The confirmation of the assassination came early this morning from the interim PM of Haiti, Claude Joseph. 

Joseph locked down the country; closing sea and air ports.  He barricaded the capital Port Au Prince; not allowing motor vehicles in or out.  Many guess that it must be in an attempt to capture the killers and they were right.  The border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti was closed following the attack. 

Haiti now also facing a possible conundrum as it is unclear how the country proceeds in terms of national leadership.  The acting Prime Minister, because he is “acting” may not be able to assume the role of President. There is no parliament, because constitutionally it had to be dissolved since January 2020 and the Supreme Court Justice, in recent month died, reportedly after contracting the coronavirus. 

On Monday, before his murder, President Moïse announced that he had identified a medical doctor – Ariel Henry – to take on the role of Prime Minister of Haiti.  A move he justified as necessary to guide Haiti through the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Henry would have been the seventh prime minister in four years and would have taken over as Prime Minister of Haiti at the end of this week.

Our news organization was informed there is no such thing as a vice president in Haiti; a change Moïse had hoped to bring if re-elected along with other constitutional changes which had been promoted in a referendum. Some of those amendments were criticised for seeking to give too much power to the executive. An election was announced for September in Haiti. 

Prime Minister Joseph has informed media that he is in charge of Haiti now. 

As for video circulating where you can hear the order to “stand down”, it is legitimate and it is said dark blue trucks pulled into the compound, men posing as United States D.E.A. officers came in and they were the ones who gunned down Moïse. 

“Barbaric”, “cowardly”, “worrisome”, and “atrocious” are among the descriptions of the way Jovenel Moïse met his untimely demise, coming from leaders around the region and around the world.

Turks and Caicos Premier, Washington Misick said it is horrific and “My prayer is that the perpetrators are found and held accountable for their malicious actions and that peaceful resolve and good order can arise from such a horrible tragedy.”   

The murder of Moïse is particularly shocking because civilized countries of the world have come a long way from times when assassination is the way to make the point or win an argument.

From our media house (Magnetic Media) which has spent decades covering the people, places and plans of Haiti, we extend our deepest condolences.

See pages 21, 22 and 23 in our photo tribute to the slain President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse.

Caribbean News

Guyanese Scholar and Olympian Arrested in Iowa ICE Crackdown

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

September 27, 2025 – In a shocking breach of public trust and institutional oversight, Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who is a citizen of Guyana, was arrested on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a string of serious offenses that raise troubling questions about hiring practices, accountability, and public safety.

Roberts, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is a former Olympian and accomplished scholar.  According to online reports, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University after transferring from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he played soccer.  He holds two master’s degrees—from St. John’s University and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business—attended an Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate in education with a focus on urban educational leadership from Trident University.

Despite these accomplishments, Roberts was living and working without legal authorization.  ICE reported that he fled a traffic stop and abandoned his school-issued vehicle.  At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash.  He also has a prior weapons-related charge.

ICE officials questioned how Roberts could hold such a prominent role while subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024.  The school district said they were unaware of his immigration status, noting that he had undergone background checks and completed an I-9 form confirming work authorization.  Roberts was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in systems meant to safeguard public institutions and underscores the challenges ICE faces in identifying individuals operating outside U.S. immigration laws while in positions of authority.

For many, Roberts has become a near-literal poster child for these enforcement gaps.

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Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

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CARICOM-Africa Summit Yields Draft Pact on Trade, Travel and Reparations

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Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent

 

Deandrea Hamilton  | Editor

 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.

At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.

The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.

Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment. With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.

CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”

For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.

For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.

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