Haiti Inaugurates New Leader Two Weeks After President’s Assassination

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Ariel Henry, a prominent neurosurgeon backed by the U.S., became Haiti’s new prime minister Tuesday, as it began official ceremonies to mourn assassinated President Jovenel Moïse, and police widened the list of suspects in his killing.

Dr. Henry was inaugurated to lead this embattled Caribbean nation, as it struggles to form a new government and tame mounting civil unrest. His most important objective is to organize elections that would take place in 120 days.

Haiti has been steeped in brutal fighting between ganglords that is crippling the economy, with a parliament that has been dissolved and where rights groups say the electoral council was illegitimately appointed by the slain president. 

“The country is going through a very difficult situation,” Mr. Henry said in an inaugural address. “All Haitian have to unite to fix the crisis. I’m not a magician.”

The 71-year-old promised to seek consensus with political players, which he said will be vital to restore investor confidence, security and better combat Covid-19. Lagging much of the region, Haiti started administering vaccines in recent days after receiving its first allotment, a 500,000-dose donation from the U.S., last week.