Dilma promises to assist Haiti reconstruction and discusses the situation of Haitian immigrants

After visiting Cuba, president Dilma Rousseff went to Haiti where she
announced greater cooperation in reconstruction of infrastructure
damaged in the 2010 earthquake, professional training, agriculture and
health. Many cooperation projects will be run jointly with Cuba. It was
announced that Brazil will also participate in the construction of a
power plant on the Artibonite River, located 60 kilometers from the
capital. The plant, generating 32 megawatts (enough to supply
electricity to 250,000 homes), should be built at a cost of $2.5
million, is expected to become a symbol of Brazilian assistance to
Haitian development.

Dilma emphasized that Brazil will continue to be an active participant
in efforts to make Haiti a viable country economically and politically.
She declared that it was essential that international assistance go
beyond military action [and it was announced that Brazil will reduce the
number of troops it has in the UN Haitian Stability Mission]. Dilma
emphasized the need for social assistance, saying that Brazil will make
its experience with combating hunger and extreme misery available to
Haiti.

Another issue discussed with Haitian authorities was the situation of
Haitian immigrants who have been arriving at Brazil’s borders by the
thousands. The subject is considered enormously important in Haiti. The
Haitian ambassador in Brazil, Idalbert Jean-Pierre, declared in
emotional remarks that he was very satisfied with the decision by Brazil
to issue 1,200 visas to Haitians who were in Brazil without requiring
them to have jobs and to permit 100 visas per month to be issued in
Port-au-Prince.

The ambassador went on to discuss a matter that deeply concerns
Brazilian authorities, as well. “These Haitian immigrants spend
somewhere between $3,000 and $4,000 to make the trip to Brazil. By
Haitian standards that is an enormous amount of money. To make the trip
they put themselves in debt for the rest of their lives. Most of them
are at the mercy of coyotes – people who deal in a form of human
traffic. What kind of salaries will they get in Brazil?  It is a
terrible situation. It is so bad that the only person who can understand
the desperation of these people is another person in the same
situation,” declared the ambassador after he visited the states of Acre
and Amazonas where the Haitians have been entering Brazil.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development and Hunger Combat
announced that it will release R$900,000 for the states of Acre and
Amazonas so they can provide assistance to Haitian immigrants. It is
reported that there are 4,600 Haitians in Amazonas and 1,400 in Acre. It
should be recalled that on January 19, the Ministry of Health released
R$1.3 million for Acre to be used in health care for Haitian immigrants.