Biden refuses military aid to Haiti

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is running the country with military and police support, though the president of the Haitian Senate says he should be running the country. The interim government faces violent protests, power grabs, and crumbling infrastructure in the wake of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination on July 7. Joseph asked for the U.S. military to help restore order for upcoming elections. President Joe Biden said sending troops is “not on the agenda,” but he is deploying Marines to the U.S. Embassy to bolster security.

How is the investigation going? Haitian police are still looking for at least seven suspects. They have arrested about 20, most of whom are former Colombian soldiers. Two suspects are U.S-Haiti dual citizens. Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned to the country from a trip to Cuba on Friday to the cheers of hundreds of supporters. Some carried pictures announcing, “The king is back!” Aristide is one of Haiti’s most polarizing presidents; he was elected and removed from office twice.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report for more details on the situation in Haiti.