This Wednesday, October 17, the day of the commemoration of the 212nd anniversary of the assassination of the Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the ceremonies took place in two places. First in Pont Rouge, where President Jovenel Moïse accompanied by his wife Martine, the Prime Minister, Jean Henry Céant, High Dignitaries of the State, the High-General Staff of the National Police and members of the High-State Major of the Army laid a wreath at the foot of the monument erected in memory of the father of the Nation. A ceremony in which there was a serious incident when shots of unknown origin were fired during the ceremony, causing panic and confusion. Despite this turbulent episode, the Head of State safe and sound, went to Marchand Dessalines where he participated in a Thanksgiving Mass in honor of the Founder of the Nation at the Parish Church Sainte-Claire of Dessalines, before going to the Place Dessalines for a minute of silence at the foot of the status of the Emperor and delivred his message to the Nation.

Extracts from the message to the Nation of President Jovenel Moïse :

"My brothers and sisters,

On October 17 and a sacred date for Haiti, this is a moment when we commemorate a sad event in the history of the country, a stain that is stuck in the history of Haiti as a free people, who struggled to give to the whole world an example, we have shown to all the people of the earth that slavery is a bad practice that must stop whatever its form or place [...] This is the greatest lesson in the world. Haiti's history is one of the greatest lesson for humanity when we show the world what we can do in the union [...] the Republic of Haiti is the reference for all people on earth who love freedom, who want to work for dignity, for peace, for unity, justice, respect for the rights of all, for inclusion, for progress, like a good education for all children, all young people, for all the citizens who live on this land.

This is what Dessalines had as projects, it is on these projects that I look to go further.

[...]

After having finished fighting for our freedom, unfortunately, we have taken another path, the path of division, of fighting each other, of breaking, of treason today is the day we all Haitian wherever we are, we need to be aware of the situation and the future of our country.

[...]

We all agree that we must change the way we live in the country so that all Haitians can live in peace, so that we can work so that the country can use all its resources so that all its children can better live [...]"

Listen to the full speech of Jovenel Moïse :

HL/ HaitiLibre