Assassination of Jean-Jacques Dessalines: The Executive Honors the Memory of the Father of the Nation
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince · · 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
On October 17, 2025, the Haitian Executive commemorated the 219th anniversary of the assassination of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines during an official ceremony, attended by several government members and representatives of public and diplomatic institutions.
This day of remembrance and patriotic fervor allowed authorities to pay tribute to the memory of the Founding Father of the Haitian Nation, whose bravery and foresight shaped the freedom and sovereignty of the Haitian people.
In his speech, President Laurent St Cyr honored the Emperor's memory and recalled the universal significance of his legacy. He highlighted certain progress made in recent months, notably the re-establishment of several state offices in downtown Port-au-Prince, a sign, according to him, of a gradual return of public authority in the capital. The Head of the Presidential Council also welcomed the advances made by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) in preparations for the upcoming national elections, stating that these efforts reflect a common will to restore constitutional order and give the Haitian people their voice back.
Laurent St Cyr used this platform to call for national dialogue and unity around the Dessalinian ideal, emphasizing the need to “reconnect with the spirit of audacity and dignity” that guided the Founding Fathers in 1804.
However, holding this ceremony at the Villa d’Accueil, and not at the National Palace, which remains uninhabitable, highlighted a revealing paradox: that of a state seeking to celebrate sovereignty at the very moment its presence remains fragile in the heart of the capital.
Despite the President's lauded efforts to re-establish public authority, it remains to be seen that no major gang leader has yet been apprehended or neutralized, while insecurity continues to weigh heavily on citizens' daily lives and on the recovery of the administration.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, present at the ceremony, for his part expressed his solidarity with the message of remembrance and resilience, while reaffirming the government's determination to continue efforts to restore stability and strengthen republican institutions.
On this highly symbolic date, the commemoration of October 17, 1806, took on a particular resonance: that of a collective call to rediscover the spirit of Dessalines, to combine memory and action, and to restore meaning to the ideal of freedom and dignity at the heart of the Haitian Nation.
Gesly Sinvilier
