Hugo Chavez - Haiti Observer Blog

The present Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro paid his first official visit to Haiti on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. The meeting between Nicolas Maduro and the Haitian President, Michel Martelly took place on the grounds where once the National Palace stood before it collapsed during the earthquake of 2010. For several hours the meeting was held privately and was aimed towards starting the negotiations so that the flow of special funds could be renewed. Special funds refer to the oil money used primarily for infrastructure projects.

It must be noted that Venezuela is the biggest contributor or donor that has been helping Haiti to get back on its feet after the country was hit by the 2010 earthquake. A huge support came from the PetroCaribe fund of Venezuela. Millions of dollars from the PetroCaribe pact has been used by Haiti for renovating power station, rebuilding international airport runway and also for paying for fuel. The international airport in the second largest city of Haiti has been named after the former Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.

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The international airport second largest city in Haiti, Cap-Haïtien will be named after former Venezuela's President, late Hugo Chavez. The announcement was made by Laurent Lamothe, Prime Minister of Haiti using micro-blogging website called Twitter. Lamothe sent out the tweet on Thursday afternoon (18th April) when he was on a 6-day tour to USA to boast about the achievement of the Martelly-Lamothe administration.

Lamothe sent out his tweet in French one day after a confusion that spread across the social media platforms regarding homage to be paid to Chavez. Before the tweet was sent out, it was reported by some of the Haitian blogs that Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport of Port-au-Prince will be named after late Hugo Chavez.

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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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Former President René Préval once captioned the energy crisis in Haiti, stating that, in Port-au-Prince, they had an average two hours of electricity daily. In the rural areas, this electricity shortage is even worse. It is due to the lack of fuel to run generators, a lack which Ugo Chavez and the Venezuelan Government had offered to resolve for years.

When newly independent Haiti gave refuge and arms to the South American Liberator Simón Bolívar in 1815, they were unwittingly investing in the country's future, as it was this act which spurred Chavez into the courtship of Haiti and the 'pragmatic' Préval.

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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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A good friend and a supporter of the people of Haiti has died. Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced on public television in Venezuela that President Hugo Chavez died in Caracas of the consequences of cancer "after two years fighting against the disease.

The haitian government hs already reacted to the death of President Hogo Chavez. Haitian President Michel Martelly has sent his condolences on his Facebook page stating: "I extend, on behalf of the people of Haiti, my sincere condolences to the Venezuelan people following the death of President Hugo Chavez."

Following the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the government of Michel Martelly took a decreed for three (3) days of mourning observed as a sign of respect for what was Hugo Chavez. It is to start on Wednesday March 6. During these three days, the Haitian flag will be flown at half mast, radio stations are invited to broadcast music appropriate in the circumstances.

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