Haiti President's Assassination Puts Spotlight On Need For Support From Colorado

DENVER (CBS4) - News of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has many in mourning, and some  in Colorado asking how it could happen.

"It's really bad to take in," Jennie Fleurent said.

Fleurent is an international student from Haiti at Metropolitan State University Denver.

"My little sister, she called me this morning around 4 a.m., and I didn't pick it up," Fleurent recalled.

She later read the shocking text about the Haitian president's death.

"I'm mostly worried about my family, my sisters, my mom. They're all in Haiti," she said

A slew of disasters challenged the country in recent years, from a 7.0 earthquake in 2010 to severe hurricanes in the past decade.

"After the earthquake, there was a lot of cholera epidemic where a lot of kids were dying," Fleurent explained.

It's why she is studying water management to improve infrastructure there. In the meantime, there has been a lot of turnovers politically in the country.

"We're hoping this can be a chance for people to come together," Wynn Walent said.

Walent runs Locally Haiti, a charity based in Colorado. They work to fundraise money for education, farming, and health services.

"It's a special place. It's a magical place with so much potential and possibility, but the leaders there require our support and investment," Walent said.

The two both know the assassination may grab attention, but they ask people to learn more, beyond the headline.

"Even though these things are happening, I still see Haiti as welcoming," Fleurent added.