Editing History of Haiti (section)

=== The Moïse presidency (2017–2021) ===
{{see also|Haitian crisis (2018–present)}}
[[File:Jovenel Moise.jpg|thumb|133px|[[Jovenel Moïse]] ]]
Following Hurricane Mathew, [[Jovenel Moïse]] was chosen to succeed Martelly as president in an election that has been described by activists as an "electoral coup d'etat."<ref>{{cite web |title=Haiti: 'This is an electoral coup', says activist amid daily protests |url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/haiti-%E2%80%98-electoral-coup%E2%80%99-says-activist-amid-daily-protests |website=greenleft.org.au |access-date=2 August 2021 |archive-date=2 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802220015/https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/haiti-%E2%80%98-electoral-coup%E2%80%99-says-activist-amid-daily-protests |url-status=dead }}</ref> The United States supervised the elections and spent upwards of $33 million on them, spending which has been criticized for its inefficiency, with high overhead costs but little done to stop the widespread fraud, violence, and voter suppression present.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-06-07|title=The US Spent $33 Million on Haiti's Scrapped Elections – Here is Where it Went|url=https://cepr.net/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-went/|access-date=2021-08-02|website=Center for Economic and Policy Research|language=en-US}}</ref> Moïse was inaugurated on the grounds where the national palace had been on 7 February 2017. He went on to start the "Caravan de Changement" project, which aims to revitalize the industries and infrastructure of Haiti's less popular areas. However, the actual impact of these efforts is debated. In recent months, Moïse has been implicated in the embezzlement of funds from the PetroCaribe program, as has his predecessor, Martelly.

On 7 July 2018 [[2018–2019 Haitian protests|protests]] led by opposition politician [[Jean-Charles Moïse]] began, demanding the resignation of Jovenel Moïse. Released in November 2017, a Senate probe of the period 2008–2016 (concerning the [[René Préval]] and [[Michel Martelly]] administrations, as well as the chief of staff of then-sitting President Jovenel Moïse) revealed significant corruption had been funded with [[Venezuela]]n loans through the [[Petrocaribe]] program.<ref>{{cite news|title=Haiti owes Venezuela $2 billion – and much of it was embezzled, Senate report says|newspaper=Miami Herald|author=Jacqueline Charles|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article184740783.html|date=15 November 2017}}</ref> Significant protests broke out in February 2019 following a report from the court investigating the Petrocaribe Senate probe.<ref name="BBChaiti">{{cite news|title=Deadly protests hit Haiti capital|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47193837|access-date=13 February 2019|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=11 February 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47220832|title=Inmates escape from Haiti prison|date=12 February 2019|publisher=[[BBC News]]|access-date=13 February 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref>

A new round of protests broke out in February 2021 amid a dispute over Moïse's presidential term. The protesters claim that Moïse's term officially ended on 7 February 2021 and demanded that he step down. Moïse, however, claimed that he has one more year to serve because of delays in starting his term. Protesters have also expressed concerns about a referendum proposed by Moïse, which would reportedly scrap the ban on consecutive presidential terms and enable Moïse to run again.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dispute over Haiti presidential term triggers unrest|publisher=BBC News|author=Rose Delaney|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56069575|date=15 February 2021}}</ref>

On 7 July 2021 President Moïse [[Assassination of Jovenel Moïse|was assassinated]]. Prime Minister [[Claude Joseph]] became interim president.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Catherine |last2=Santora |first2=Marc |date=7 July 2021 |title=After the killing of Haiti's president, the threat of further political violence escalates. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/americas/haiti-president-killed.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707113131/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/americas/haiti-president-killed.html |archive-date=7 July 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>