Martine Marie Moïse is the wife of former Haiti President Jovenel Moïse.
President Moise was assassinated during a raid on his residence on July 7, 2021, as revealed through a statement by Haiti Prime Minister Claude Joseph.
Former First lady Martine was shot during the attack and admitted in hospital where she is undergoing treatment as per NBC News.
The attack occurred in their home at Pétion-Ville, a commune and a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Background and Education
Martine was born Martine Marie Étienne Joseph on June 5, 1974, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
She attended Roger Anglade School in Port-au-Prince for her elementary and high school studies and finished in the year 1993.
She later joined Quisqueya University and graduated with a degree in Interpretation Studies in the year 1997.
Marriage
Martine and Moise met while still students at Quisqueya University. They courted and got married in 1996.
Later that year, the couple moved to Port-de-Paix, Nord-Ouest department, with the intention of working in rural development.
Also Read: Jovenel Moïse Biography, Background & Education, Career, Marriage and Assassination
First Lady & Achievements
She became first lady when Moise was elected President on February 7, 2017.
She was elected president of the Fondasyon Klere Ayiti, a community development organization focused on the education and empowerment of women in Haiti.
Martine was also in 2017 appointed president of Coordination for Global Fund in Haiti (CCM). The organisation aims at eradicating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other health diseases in Haiti.
She was a vocal advocate for new investments in the Haitian arts and crafts industry in an effort to boost local artisans.
Assassination Attempt
On July 7, 2021, armed individuals raided her home in Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
President Moise was killed on the spot during the raid, while the former first lady sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the General Hospital of Port-au-Prince for treatment.
Earlier reports by various media outlets including Haiti Libre and Meaww had erroneously reported that Martine succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment.
The publications reported that Haitian doctor Hans Lancer had confirmed the former first lady’s death via a phone call.
“The president assassinated died at his home and also his wife, the president’s wife, (about 15 minutes ago) died of the injuries,” Lancer was quoted as saying.
According to the publication, the doctor lives about five kilometers from the presidential residence where the assassination took place, but he was not at the hospital where the Martine was undergoing treatment. They say he had received the information from the doctors there.
“I have friends in the hospital who have confirmed this information, they are 100 per cent true, it’s not 95 or 99, it’s 100 per cent,” he said.
It later emerged that Martine had survived the assassination attempt. She was airlifted to Miami for treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital with reports indicating that her vitals are stable bit critical.
