International

After three years of very little movement on rebuilding efforts to repair Haiti's damaged infrastructure, a new body has been created by the government of Haiti (GOH) to quicken funding for construction projects. Originally, construction projects were initiated under the Strategic Plan for the Development of Haiti (SPDH). But GOH did little to actualize projects.

As Prime Minister Lamothe explains, "Donor funds have focused mostly on emergency relief . . . the time is now for nation-building." In place of SPDH, GOH has created Committee on Coordination of External Aid for the Development of Haiti (CAED). The purpose of CAED is to create a system, in which all participants work together to speed up funding so rebuilding can occur at a faster pace.

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The former Prime Minister of Jamaica, P J Patterson has cried shame on the United Nations and their recent invocation of their right to legal immunity after the deaths of thousands of Haitians from a cholera outbreak caused by UN aid workers on site in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The decision by the UN, announced weeks ago by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has been met with censure by many as the organization, in taking this step after a suit was filed against them, has denied the families of the thousands who have suffered any claim to damages sustained from the epidemic.

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Former President René Préval's dealings with the United States began with great promise. He had made the US one of his first visits after winning the 2006 elections, and was quickly congratulated by President George Bush upon his reelection. In the States, the presidential meeting was thought to be fortuitous of the relationship between the two countries under Préval's administration.

Then René Préval surprised them. A series of cables from the US Embassy, made available to Haitian press by WikiLeaks, show that initially, Préval's offense was his dealings with Venezuela and Cuba, a circumstance the US hadn't anticipated after Préval's actions to reassure them. US Ambassador Janet Sanderson took umbrage to perceived shows of 'independence or contrariness', shown by Préval in his dealings with Ugo Chavez. This was exacerbated by Préval's signing the Venezuelan PetroCaribe alliance, a coup with considerable benefits to Haiti, including the estimated $100 million the government would save per year. Washington had made it plain they would not support a Haitian oil deal with Venezuela.

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Against the wishes of many, Haiti, led by then president René Préval, began dealings with Cuba and Fidel Castro. As part of a trilateral cooperate between the two countries and Venezuela, Castro facilitated an aid package to Haiti that would include oil and energy solutions, medical and disaster support, education, etc.

During Préval's first turn as president, after the September 1998 hurricane Georges had ravaged the country and left a cholera outbreak, 500 Cuban doctors were sent to give aid. Described by Préval as second only to God in their healing abilities, the gift was looked on suspiciously by others claiming the intention was to either steal jobs or spread the 'communist influence'. Following Rene Preval's personal experience of the Cuban health system and a second visit of the doctors in the wake of 2010's cholera outbreak, Préval awarded the Cuban Medical Brigade, and by extension Castro, with the country's highest honor, the National Order of Honor and Merit in the grade of Grand Officer. Hundreds of thousands had been infected; the death toll nearly 5000, but the efforts of the Cuban doctors had saved the lives of over 73,000 Haitians.

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Hugo Chavez, late President of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, will remain the most iconic figure of 21st century on the World Political Map. The entire population of Haiti will remain indebted to what Hugo Chavez did for Haitian people and Latin America as a whole. There is no denying of the fact that Chavez deeply loved Haiti and its people.

It was on March 12, 2007 when Chavez visited the then Haitian President René Préval at National Palace of Haiti (that was shattered by the 2010 earthquake) and declared enormous economic aids that were intended for directly aiding the poverty-struck Haitian people as well as sustainable growth of Haiti. These announcements were a part of the PetroCaribe deal signed between Haiti and Venezuela in 2006.

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U.S. Agency for International Department (USAID) started a program that aimed towards boosting up the economy of Haiti through targeted loans to Haitian business units. It has been found in an audit that program failed as the intended targets did not receive the loans, workers were not trained properly and there was no systematic record maintenance. The Office of Inspector General of USAID released the audit report towards the end of February. The aim of this audit was to find out whether areas like waste management, handicrafts, tourism, construction and agriculture were benefited through the promotion of lending practices.

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Haiti President Michel Martelly flew to both Guyana and Suriname on a State visit March 22, 2013.

On his stop in Guyana, he sat down with Head of State, Donald Ramotar. They spoke on topics ranging from bi-lateral cooperation to agrarian issues, eco-tourism, trading, education, and food shortages. President Martelly also promoted many investment opportunities developed for Haiti's reconstruction post the 2010 earthquake.

After, Martelly flew to Suriname where he was greeted by President Désiré Bouterse with a military ceremony. During their sit-down, Martelly conversed with Bouterse about domestic rice production in Haiti, and CARICOM's CARIFESTA. Suriname is the event host for 2013's celebration, and Haiti will participate, offering music, national cuisine, arts and crafts, and dance performances.

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According to the reports of Prensa Latina, 14th National Afro-Caribbean Festival in Eva Gasper's Memory was organized in Cuba's Ciego de Avila province. The festival was a 3-day long festival that was marked by the participation of 14 groups of Haitian dancers and musicians from all over Cuba. This annual festival is sponsored by La Habana's Haitian Embassy and Santiago de Cuba's Casa del Caribe. This festival is held by Sabicú community in Ciego de Avila's village Primero de Enero. Sabicú is the largest community of Haitian descendants and natives living in central Cuba.

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Amazon State of Acre declared a 'state of social emergency' on the wake of uncontrolled Haitian immigration. It was declared on April 9, 2013 by Tiao Viana, governor of Acre. The declaration of social emergency by the governor came with the hope that the Federal Government will help to contain the massive human trafficking that has plagued Acre of late. However, the Acre government did declare through its website that those who have already entered Brazil will be given the necessary aid.

While signing the decree, the governor said that the declaration formally recognizes the seriousness of the problem and that Acre alone is not capable of dealing with the situation and hence, it is looking for external help to contain the situation.

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After a widely criticized decision made by the United Nations to invoke its immunity after a suit filed in the wake of the 2010 Cholera outbreak in Haiti, that has caused the deaths of over 8,000 Haitians, some say the most disappointing thing is the brevity of the official dismissal. The invocation of the UN's right to legal protection within a country in which it operates was a one-sentence cap to three years of illness and death, including the 15-month effort to gain compensation for those affected by the outbreak said to have been caused by UN peacekeepers from Nepal who entered the country after the January 2010 earthquake to offer aid to victims.

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